Singapore Chinatown
The arrival of the Chinese immigrants let to the evolution of what is
known as Chinatown near Telok Ayer. The heart of Chinatown is located
around the Smith/Trengganu Streets vicinity. The town is very
populated and is home to a colourful group of streets and alleys. The
merchants of the area do business in pre-war houses which was passed
down from many generations.
Guests can admire all the beautiful scenery and sounds that Chinatown
has to offer. Some of these include noisy coffee shops, medical halls,
calligraphers, clay makers, trishaw riders and old temples. In
addition, they may also be interested in looking at medicine stores
brew potions by mixing snake skin, herbs, spices and exotic
ingredients. See traditional delicacies like sea cucumbers drying,
hawkers grilling thin slices of pork and fortune tellers at makeshift
tables. They can also get great deals on embroidered kimonos,
T-shirts, pottery and other traditional art and craft.
For sports check out Club Street and Ann Siang Hill the address for
many clans and sports groups. The area is now a major source of
designer fashion boutiques, chic bars and gourmet restaurants. This is
a beautiful area for relaxing and enjoying the old fashioned shop
houses.
At nights, visit the Chinatown Food Street. You can get a sample of
all local foods from the different stalls and take a bite of the
alfresco meal. Then after a tasty meal you can now stroll along the
Chinatown Night Market.
What Buddhists leaders consider the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic is
located in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum at the centre of
Chinatown. The Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic is a glorious Relic Stupa
composed of 420kg of gold donated by worshipers.
The magnificent Maitreya Buddha image can be viewed as soon as guests
enter the grand 27 feet high main hall in the temple. By observing the
beauty and majesty of the hall alone guests can get a taste of the
dedication the carpenters and crafters put in their effort in building
the temple. The structural design, interior and statuary are
inspirations by the Tang Dynasty, a period in China where Buddhism
thrived in a spectacular age of arts and culture.
On the roof of the temple lays the pure elegance of the Dendrobium
Buddha Tooth, a specie of orchid given its name after Buddha Tooth
Relic Temple & Museum.
To get a taste of the life and misery of the early Chinese settlers
and inhabitants of Chinatown guests can visit the Chinatown Heritage
Centre at 48 Pagoda Street. There is a three-storey shop that portrays
their ways of living, traditional backgrounds and rough times with the
use sights, sound and smells.
While travelling the road you will be sure to encounter the oldest
Hindu Temple in Singapore Sri Mariamman Temple. On the entrance you
can see symbolic sculptures of Hindu deities and mythological beasts.
A fifteen minutes walk from Sri Mariamman Temple into Telok Ayer
Street. You can find the Thian Hock Keng Temple, another of
Singapore's oldest and the most Magnificent Chinese temple which
correlate with early Chinese migrants.