Singapore丨How to walk in Chinatown?
Chinatown, the name sounds quite strange, it is Singapore's Chinatown. Since 1821, Raffles designated this area by the Singapore River as a Chinese residential area. At that time, there was no tap water, so water had to be transported here by ox carts and distributed to residents, hence the name Chinatown.
🔴 When strolling in Chinatown, my favorite thing is to admire the various Nanyang-style buildings here. They look quite similar to the Cantonese arcade designs most common in our hometown, but with more vibrant colors and upper-level louvered windows, which I really like. This blend of old and new is very unique.
👉 Kong Chow Wui Koon, isn't that the branch of the Xinhui villagers in Singapore? The exterior still retains the architectural features of the early 20th century, beautiful.
👉 People's Park Complex, once one of Singapore's largest shopping centers, is a mixed-use building designed by local architects and is considered an architectural masterpiece of the 1970s. The yellow-green color is both eye-catching and nostalgic.
👉 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, designed by Venerable Shi Fazhao, adopts the architectural style and elements of the Tang Dynasty, combined with the design style of the Buddhist Mandala (altar). It is very grand. The interior of the temple is luxuriously decorated and houses the Buddha Tooth Relic.
👉 Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, is of Dravidian architectural style. It is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman and mainly serves the Tamil Hindu community in Singapore. The temple gate is carved with colorful Hindu gods, animals, and figures, and the high tower inside the gate is adorned with vivid statues of various deities and sacred beasts.
👉 Jamae Mosque, the oldest mosque in Singapore, has a distinctive South Indian Islamic architectural style gate and minaret.
🔴 When strolling in Chinatown, don't miss the unique artworks in the corners. "Letter Writer's Skillful Calligraphy", "My Home", "Conan Comes to Chinatown" are all on Smith Street; "Mid-Autumn Festival" is on Pagoda Street; "Opera Stage" is on Temple Street; "Chinatown Vendors" is on Mohamed Ali Lane, and many more. I can't describe them all in detail, or it would lose the fun of searching and encountering them.
🔴 When strolling in Chinatown, you must take away Bee Cheng Hiang's bak kwa. This brand was founded in 1933, with more than eighty years of history. Founder Mr. Zhang Ruiyi sold his family recipe bak kwa from a mobile stall along the streets of Chinatown, with an aroma that established an excellent reputation. You'll know it's much tastier than the same brand bought from certain supermarkets after trying it.
🔴 When strolling in Chinatown, you can also buy souvenirs, such as fridge magnets. If you don't want to buy mass-produced items from Yiwu, I recommend buying them at the Singapore Tourism Information Center next to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
🔴 When strolling in Chinatown, you can also eat various specialty foods. Song Fa is definitely the first choice. Check out my previous recommendation. You can also conveniently buy a cup of the popular coconut drink MR.coconut outside the store, highly recommended, it's incredibly refreshing.
Masjid Jamae is not very big and is very close to Chinatown. It is one of the earliest churches in Singapore. Its elegant colors are impressive. However, when we passed by, it may have been past the opening hours and we were unable to visit. It was a pity.
Different from the noisy Hindu temples, the Jammu Mosque is as quiet as another world. It is very cool in the church, with the fan turning slowly, and it feels like time has slowed down and is about to stop.
The first thing we saw was the Jamae (Chulia) Mosque, whose exterior walls were as fresh as mint. It wasn't very grand or tall, but it stood out among the many ordinary small buildings. The two small towers on top of the main entrance were very distinctive.
I passed by the Jammeh Church, a small green church with local characteristics. There were not many people when I went there. I wanted to go in and take a look, but my clothing did not meet the standards. You need to wear long pants and long sleeves to enter. There were clothes available for free rental outside, but I thought I should give up!
Jaime Hui Church may not be as famous as Hindu Temple or Buddha's Tooth Temple in Marian Amman. I found these buildings close to each other, so I decided to look at Jaime Hui Church with mint green color on my left hand after wearing out of Buffalo Street without tickets.
Outside Chinatown is the Chan Hui Mei Church, the colors are very easy to recognize. I wanted to go in and take a look, but they were praying or something inside, so forget it, take my daughter and leave! It's spectacular, the colors are very beautiful!