Changi Airport to Chinatown, Singapore

Singapore's Chinatown

Basked in the warm sunlight, Singapore’s Chinatown is a frenzy of colors, robust vendors and a labyrinth of narrow paths. Boasting the appeal of its rich history as a settlement for Chinese immigrants, Chinatown has evolved into a full-blown tourist attraction, where quirky souvenirs and street food blend together to become a cultural force to be reckoned with in the bustling city of Singapore.

The Cultures within the Pot

It may seem confusing, what with all the cultures that exist within the diverse locality of Singapore. On its own, the metropolis is defined by its history and its people, but upon closer inspection, one discovers the layers within such definition - so much so that the melting pot of cultures contains within itself separate pots of cultures. Chinatown is an example where the Chinese hawker stalls manned by friendly vendors are complemented by restaurants that have begun to speckle Chinatown.

Boasting a much more diverse selection in terms of food, Chinatown is now home to trendy food places that serve chic international cuisine. One such food place is Kafe Utu, an endearing cafe with furniture and an interior setting that are heavily inspired by the earthy tones that color the beautifully exotic African culture. Don’t miss out on their signature ricotta cheese hotcakes and the rustic, Insta-worthy backdrop!

Browse along a great representation of local cuisine in this tourist hub as you take a seat in the busy Chinatown Food Street, where tables run between stalls and the setting provides an authentic hawker-dining experience. From loud, unabashed conversations among locals and foreigners to palatable treats such as char kway teow and barbecued seafood, unparalleled tourist experience is getting to know a city by its flavours!

Quiet Relics of the Past

Architecture seizes the attention of its beholders, particularly ones that have been so greatly preserved over the years such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, which is an astonishingly grand 4-storey temple that welcomes visitors into Chinatown with its elaborate Tang Dynasty-inspired elegance. The temple is essentially an architectural emulation of the Buddhist mandala, a religious culture that represents the universe.

Now a museum that pays homage to Chinese culture, the temple is a majestic place of worship that also serves as a repository for the tooth of the historical Buddha, and holds within its walls Buddhist relics of religious reverence, most of which could be seen in the 3rd floor. Most visitors are enthralled with the solid gold 2-metre stupa on the 4th floor which is the place where the sacred relic is kept. Only monks are allowed into the relic chamber, but visitors can still take a gander at the tooth relic from the public viewing area.

The Peranakan

Peranakan culture is prominent within Singapore. Mostly known for their spiced traditional cuisines, the vibrant colours that bespeckle their wardrobe and their food presentation, and the personification of, literally, ‘melting pot of cultures’, the peranakan are Straits-born people with Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage.

The National University of Singapore’s Baba House is an authentic and well-preserved Peranakan artefact, boasting as one of the few townhouses whose architecture has remained intact over the years and continue to showcase the delicate culture that play such an important role in shaping the rich cultural history of Singapore. Alongside the exhibitions on the third floor of the townhouse are the porcelains and Peranakan antiques, acquired by and belonging to the peranakan Wee family that had descended from the tycoon Wee Bin.