I loved Chinatown. The first thing that struck me when I left the MRT station were the colours. It's so bright but not at all gaudy - I didn't think anyway.
If you leave Chinatown MRT station by (I think) exit A you walk into Pagoda Street, a street full of shops, restaurants, people and ... Read review
Centrally located in Chinatown, Hotel 81 Chinatown offers you a glimpse into Singapore’s ... more
Chinese culture and a convenient location close to shops, entertainment outlets, restaurants and public transport.Just across Chinatown MRT station, Hotel 81 is situated amidst Chinatown’s historical narrow lanes and traditional architecture. Nearby are plenty of Chinese eateries offering delicious cuisine in air-conditioned comfort or outdoor street-side cafés.Take a short stroll along Singapore River and you will come across the vibrant dining outlets and nightlife of Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.The 4-storey Hotel 81 Chinatown is housed in a conserved building with an attic, exuding old-world charm.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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Advantages: The colours, the temples, the shops. Disadvantages: Very pushy shop owners
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If you leave Chinatown MRT station by (I think) exit A you walk into Pagoda Street, a street full of shops, restaurants, people and history. This street is where most of money went. The shops have some really good bargains and if you can ignore the constant attention of the sales assistants you should have a great time looking through all the different wares for sale. I bought a gorgeous cashmere shawl for £5 here which is probably my bargain ... ...that really helps to bring Chinatown more to life.
If you do go to Chinatown then make sure you visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre. It's very close to the MRT station and is located in three restored shophouses. It's a fascinating museum with fabulous reconstructions that really help to further your understanding of the area. At less than £3 to get in it really is good value for money. The exhibits are incredibly well-done so that ... more
I loved Chinatown. The first thing that struck me when I left the MRT station were the colours. It's so bright but not at all gaudy - I didn't think anyway.
If you leave Chinatown MRT station by (I think) exit A you walk into Pagoda Street, a street full of shops, restaurants, people and history. This street is where most of money went. The shops have some really good bargains and if you can ignore the constant attention of the sales assistants you should have a great time looking through all the different wares for sale. I bought a gorgeous cashmere shawl for £5 here which is probably my bargain of the decade. Buying souvenirs here is also a good idea because you have so many choices from the usual holiday souvenirs to elaborately decorated snuff bottles, Chinese scroll paintings, Chinese horoscope bits and bobs, jade jewellery and feng shui compasses.
I did a walking tour here with a company called The Original Singapore Walks who do different tours every day of the week in all the different areas of Singapore. If you want to learn about some of Singapore's history that the guide books don't tell them then turn up for a tour with them. Tours take about 2 hours and cost about £6.50. Pick up one of their leaflets from just about anywhere for more information. I did a tour called The Red Lantern Tour which looks at the seedier side of Chinatown. You learn about the history, the prostitutes, the slaves and the murders. It's fascinating stuff that really helps to bring Chinatown more to life.
If you do go to Chinatown then make sure you visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre. It's very close to the MRT station and is located in three restored shophouses. It's a fascinating museum with fabulous reconstructions that really help to further your understanding of the area. At less than £3 to get in it really is good value for money. The exhibits are incredibly well-done so that even children or history haters should enjoy themselves. An entire shophouse has been turned into a shophouse that represents how the early Chinese migrants would have lived - one kitchen and toilet for several families. Not nice but definitely worth seeing. The first-hand accounts and artefacts were really interesting. Other areas of the centre explain about opium addictions, the societies that existed and a typical room of a lady of the night has been wonderfully reconstructed.
There are plenty of temples in Chinatown too. Thian Hock Keng Temple, about a 15 minute walk from the MRT station, is the oldest Hokkien temple and you'll be dazzled by the gold, life-size paintings and models and the wonderful incense smell. If you visit be sure to look at the ceiling because it's decorated with the most intricately carved pictures and models. Sri Mariamman Temple is the oldest Indian temple in Singapore. It's based in Chinatown because Singapore was originally split into areas for the Malays, Chinese and Indians by Raffles. The land-reclaiming done since has really changed Singapore so that to the modern visitor things seem out of place. This temple is bright and very colourful and as it's free to enter then definitely go for a look but if you want to take photos then you have to pay £1.
If you wander around Chinatown then you'll find a plethora of cafes, restaurants, bars and art galleries. It really is quite a nice walk as well. I used the Lonely Planet walking tour as a guide but it's easy to find your way around.
For some traditional Chinese entertainment then listen out for the Chinese operas that are regularly performed or head to the opera house - very small and informal but great to see. Ask anybody in a shop for directions. You can also have your name written in Chinese characters as you wait for less than £5 or buy a pre-written one for less than £3. Chinese tea ceremonies are wonderful to witness too - very calming.
The Chinese do make up the largest proportion of Singaporeans so I know it's been argued that everywhere is a type of Chinatown but I really don't think it's the case. Chinatown is still the hub of Chinese life and history and Chinatown more than anywhere else makes me want to return to Singapore.
...is a surprising city ! Chinatown - a city within a city-is a surprising place too! The local name of this ethnic quarter,which has recently been refurbished, is Niu Che Shui,which,would you believe,translates into English,as Bullock Cart water.
The name was coined when households in the early days used to collect water from a well in Spring Street in ... bullock carts. Most of the early residents had arrived at the mouth of the Singapore River in ... ...located at the heart of Chinatown in South Bridge Road.It was constructed back in 1827 and in 1973 was delared a national monument.It is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman who is known among believers for curing serious epidemics such as cholera, chicken pox and small-pox - that tells you something about sanitary standards in early 19 th century Singapore. The temple's most significant ceremony is Thimithi,in honour of the Goddess. During this ceremony,well ...
ashford 26.06.2000 (09.10.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chinatown (Singapore)
Advantages: Chinese New Year decoration. Disadvantages: Not very special
There is actually nothing very special about the China Town in Singapore. The main reason is that Singpore itself is dominated by Chinese, so, virtually most of the places in Singapore can be considered as China Town. Perhaps the only thing that is special about this China Town is during the Chinese New Year. During this festival, the buildings and the road will be dressed with colourful bulds featuring figure that is related to Chinese New Year, ...
Autumn-Swallow 08.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Chinatown (Singapore)
Advantages: great variety, great prices, and entertainment, and good scenery of the waterfront Disadvantages: crowded, very crowded on friday and saturday nights
Singapore Chinatown is the heart of old colonial Singapore. When the traders first cam ashore to Singapore, this was where they settled to do business with other traders, on the riverbank. Now you can see the old shophouses as they have stood for almost two centuries. They used to be old and faded, but recently, with the government taking a push for tourism, they have abolished trade from the river and taken the step of cleaning the river up. Now, ... ...somewhat cleaner. As clean as the murky dirty green colour of the sea water around Singapore gets, anyway. Also, one can see the new restored shophouses along the waterfront, restored to their former beauty. Although sometimes I do wonder if the colours were so bright in their time. Boat Quay has been turned into a trendy nightspot for the young and those looking for great nightlife and great food. Clarke Quay has been turned to something for older ...
dipstick 25.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Chinatown (Singapore)
Advantages: Too many bargains. Disadvantages: Humid
Chinatown, was a total dissappointment, it is just an area of the city where the chinese live and you can see the lanterns hanging from the windows. There is a market which packs up early though and the prices seemed to be quite high, comparing it to Bugis Junction near Raffles Hotel, where the night market was excellent. There were open air cafes, but I preferred the food courts which were air conditioned and more reasonable and you could point ...
freebee 13.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Chinatown (Singapore)
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Advantages: Heart of Singapore Chinese culture, notable architecture, strong traditions. Disadvantages: Busy, noisy, you'll spend more money than you want to, it's best to leave Mr. Whiskers at home
Chinatown is my favourite of the ethnic quarters of Singapore. Even though the Chinese make up the largest proportion of the population of the country, it is only here that the Chinese culture and traditions are readily accessible to tourists. The brightly painted houses are built with traditional architectural styles and superstitions in mind, and if you look hard you can see many detailed examples of this. For example, some of the buildings have mirrors on the outside to ward off evil spirits by frightening them with their own refelections, others have bat-shaped grills, and specially designed tiles which direct the rainfall over the front of the house, both of which are are believed to encourage prosperity.
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