Hale Lane, Panglima Lane and Market Lane are known respectively, in the local Cantonese dialect, as “First Concubines’ lane” “Second Concubines’ lane” and “Third Concubines’ lane.” Before the Japanese Occupation, the three lanes were full of brothels, gaming houses and opium dens. Residents related how, whenever an opium addict dropped dead, his corpse would be thrown out of the window and into the street, waiting for municipal sweepers to cart it away the next morning. The neighborhood was cleaned up when opium was banned, and stricter anti-vice laws were introduced.

Panglima Lane, one of the most picturesque of the few narrow streets in Old Town, was probably built before stricter building codes could be enforced. As a result of the 1892 fire, many house owners took out fire insurance. In those days, fire brigades were run by insurance companies, and fire-marks bearing the name of the insurance companies informed the residents whom they should call in case of fire. Metal plates embossed with the logos of Commercial Union, Queensland Insurance, and Taiping Insurance can still be seen on the facades of some houses along Panglima Lane.