Chinatown is one of the main tourist attractions in Singapore. It is full of life with low rise buildings, heritage sites, restaurants, indie boutiques, and trendy wine bars. Chinatown is somehow, like a time capsule in the heart of modern Singapore. If you weren’t able to go to Chinatown, people would say that your visit to Singapore is incomplete!
Here are four places in Chinatown that you shouldn’t miss:
It is a Buddhist temple and museum complex located in Chinatown. The temple’s architectural style is from the Tang Dynasty to house the tooth relic of the historical Buddha. Built-in 2008, the building consists of four floors. A 420-kilo golden stupa is housed on the fourth floor. On the third floor is the Buddhist museum, with over 300 Buddhist artifacts brought from different parts of the world.
It also has a tea house where you can relax and reflect at the same time when you visit. They also serve vegetarian dishes there. Don’t forget to wear clothes that properly cover your body when you visit. Avoid wearing shorts, skirts and sleeveless shirts when you go to this temple.
Chinatown Heritage Center
The Chinatown Heritage Center is a time capsule that holds narratives of Singapore’s past. It has six galleries that showcase the history of the very first Chinese immigrants in Singapore. Visitors will be able to go back over the passage of those who escaped famine, flood and civil unrest in China to find a better life in Singapore. Aside from the galleries, visitors can partake in workshops available in English, Mandarin, French and Japanese.
Various displays of old photographs, and scents of fragrant spices, and opium will flood your senses and bring you back to the 1950s Singapore, where it all started. You may need to stay a little longer in this center to enjoy your visit here!
Thian Hock Keng Temple
The literal translation of the name of this temple is “Palace of Heavenly Happiness.” It is a temple built for the worship of the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. Also known as the Tianfu Temple, it is the oldest and most important temple of the Hokkien people in Singapore. It was built in 1842 and renovated in 1906 with a bit of western-style features.
This temple has a magnificent courtyard, opulently adorned with black and gold lacquered wood figurines of dragons and phoenix, and colored tiles. Thian Hock Keng was officially declared a national monument on the sixth of July, 1973.
It is the oldest shrine in Singapore. It was built in 1827 by an Indian pioneer, Naraina Pillai, and has been renovated many times over. The Sri Mariamman Temple is one of the important places of worship of the Hindus in Singapore. It was declared as a national monument in 1973. Aside from being a place of worship and center of Hindu activities, this temple also served as a refuge for South Indian Tamil immigrants.
Its majestic grand tower entrance or gopuram is a wonderful landmark in Chinatown. It has sculptures of Hindu deities and mythical figures; a must-visit place for you, even if you’re not a Hindu. The beauty of this place is beyond words.
These are the four places you shouldn’t miss in Chinatown if you’re into heritage sites. If you’re more into the modern conveniences where you get to enjoy wine or cigar bars, or foot spas, Chinatown is still the place to be! If you are planning to pay a visit, start a small business, or enjoy the sweet offerings of these places but is short of funds, do check out the best licensed moneylender near Chinatown. Fortune Credit has got your back.
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