Beyond the Postcard: Singapore’s Chinatown Hidden Gems

Highlights:

Walk the hidden alleys of Chinatown with a dedicated local guide

Exclusive access to murals by celebrated local artist Yip Yew Chong

Visit Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Spot the Ann Siang Hill filming location from Crazy Rich Asians

1 set of kopi or teh with kaya toast included at Maxwell Food Centre

Singapore’s Chinatown is one of the most visited neighbourhoods in the city, filled with stories and history that go beyond its pretty postcard shophouses. Your local guide will take you beyond those walls and into alleys where stories of the people who built Singapore come to life. This side of history begins with the early Chinese immigrants in the 19th century who arrived on Singapore’s shores in hopes of chasing a better life, only to find themselves working as coolies and Samsui women.

The journey starts off through Pagoda Street and into the Chinatown Heritage Centre, through hidden painted alleyways and then off to Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore’s oldest temple, stopping by some filming locations featured in Crazy Rich Asians, and crossing over to Ann Siang Hill’s beautifully preserved shophouses. Grab a few bites of local delicacies at Maxwell Food Centre, and then pay a visit to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, one of Southeast Asia’s most significant Buddhist sites. Discover Sago Lane, also known as the ‘street of the dead’, and finish the walk at Chinatown Complex, where you can continue to explore on your own terms.

Halfway through the walk, sit down for a cup of kopi or teh with some kaya toast at a traditional kopitiam. A small, but one of the most Singaporean things you can do.