Chinatown

One of the places I have been trying to get to on my Singapore trips has been Chinatown; however, back in July 2022, the weather gods were not on my side, and a tropical rainstorm stopped me dead.

Thankfully, this time, other than it being more than a little hazy and this being Singapore, sauna-like, everything lined up, so today's the day to finally visit Chinatown.

Now with my liking for walking, the first thing to do was to check the map, and after some searching, it was pretty close, with a guesstimate being about a 10-minute walk, so after a sunscreen shower, it's time to head out.

I had decided to start the walk from the Funan centre, as that was the closest place I could get to without venturing outdoors into the heat.

Looking around, the first thing that I spotted was this very colourful building, which, after some quick googling, turns out to be the Singapore government Ministry of Information.

If you look closely, you will see that this is not an old building but a new one with the facade of the older one retained: a nice touch and something I always see back home in Sydney.

Anyhow, I did some more wandering and found you could go into the building and see a display of its history. I would have taken photos, but this is a government building, and no one was around to ask.

Yes, it was almost certainly allowed to take photos. Still, I always ask, as after decades of travelling, it's always the best thing to confirm things rather than assume, especially in government buildings.

My guesstimate of 10 minutes was not bad; it took me slightly less to make it to the start of Chinatown.

With the first sign being the striking row of shophouses

And even the traffic decided to cooperate...

Moving on and heading for what I was told would be a Hong Kong-style food and shopping experience, complete with some hawker centre action.

Given my dietary issues, I cannot comment on the food other than it reminds me of life in Hong Kong, smells good, and there is, as expected, just about anything you could ever want, and not just Chinese, but Indian, Malaysian, and many others.

Sri Mariamman Temple top

One of the first things I spotted, which seemed to draw the camera as far from Chinese as it gets, and very much unexpected in this area, was a Hindu temple, which, after some quick googling, turns out to be the Sri Mariamman Temple.

The current plan is to go back and do some more exploring in the whole area, and going into this temple is high on the list, and yes, hopefully, the traffic is more cooperative than it is today.

Moving past this, I started seeing the hints at more to come and contrasted them against the super-modern blocks in the background.

Look carefully at the above photo, and look at the wall in the side street to see a sneak peek of some of the excellent street art which is to be seen all over Chinatown

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple top

Wondering further down the street, I come across the second temple of the day, and this time, very much expected in this area, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

An impressive example of classical Chinese architecture and something which I wanted to get a closer look at; however, it was way too crowded to get any photos. Maybe on my next trip, I will make another visit, this time not in the peak time for visitors.

Yes, this was a minor disappointment, but all was not lost, as during one of my more recent Singapore visits, I did make it inside, which was well worth the wait, with the full tale now available here

Chinatown Complex top

After this it's time to move on, and walking around the temple, there was the next place to visit, the "Chinatown Complex" hawker centre. And yes, these places are a real attraction for me; I really enjoy wandering through, visiting the various stalls, and hunting for bargains.

For those who know me, I collect Asian art, especially jade carvings, original paintings, and small statues, hence my interest in these places. And yes, I am well aware that most of what I have is not even close to being antique, but for me, if I like something and the price is right, I will add to my collection.

One thing to note about these Hawker centres is that some sellers, outside the food courts, usually do not allow photos to be taken, and, as mentioned above, I always ask before taking any shots. That said, every seller I saw was friendly, with varying amounts of English, not that there was any real communication barrier. All it takes is a smile, some pointing, and keeping the questions simple, and there are no problems.

While wandering around, talking to various sellers, I came across someone selling CDs, and we started talking about photography after he noticed the DSLR I was carrying. So he gave me the OK to take a photo of his shop, and yes, I am sure he has every CD known.

Moving inside brought back some good memories of visiting mainland China and Hong Kong; the smell of the food is mouth-watering, even if I cannot eat any of it. In short, if you like bargains and good food, head for this centre.

Wondering around, looking at the various sellers' offerings and making some purchases, as is my way, I talk to everyone and even try a few words in my really, really terrible Mandarin, which resulted in laughter, oh well, at least I tried; and it's usually a good ice breaker.

Anyhow, this Hawker Centre is highly recommended; the prices are reasonable, the quality is good to excellent, everyone is friendly, and thankfully, unlike the nightmare Hong Kong jade market, not a single pushy salesperson to be seen.

Street Markets top

Now this was not the only place to see in Chinatown, moving outside, there are the street markets, where you can find just about everything, ranging from Chinese handicrafts, food (yes, there are Durians), plants, and general souvenirs, etc.

I spent the rest of the day wandering the markets, making the odd purchase, and generally taking in the atmosphere. And yes I did manage to actually avoid the Durians (bottom right of the above image), which makes a first for me, as I really love the taste of those things, and after multiple bouts of COVID, my sense of smell is limited, so that's not even a problem for me, just for those around me.

Daily Stats: 36, 598 steps, which is around 30km.