Chinatown

Given that the majority race in Singapore is Chinese, a visit to Chinatown is always a sight to behold. From authentic local fare to historical relics, Chinatown is a great place to experience culture, history and a full stomach. If you are around Singapore during the Chinese New Year period or during Mid Autumn, there are typically a lot of decorations all around the area which can make a good photo as well!

For those that are interested to explore cultural landmarks, you can explore the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, which is a 5 story temple in the heart of Chinatown and provides really good photos (both in the day and at night). Other cultural landmarks include the Sri Mariamman Temple (oldest Hindu temple in Singapore) and Thian Hock Keng Temple (one of the oldest Chinese temples in Singapore).

As with other places to explore, there is the Chinatown Street Market around Pagoda and Temple Street which is a place where you can find souvenirs, traditional clothes and local snacks.

If you want something more “local”, People’s Park Complex does not only house a great hawker center to eat local fare, but it also has a complex for buying textiles and traditional medicine.

There is also many murals and street art located around Chinatown if there is something you want to do and explore.

Beyond things to do, Chinatown is a trove for finding local fare, you can always wall down to Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex Food Centre or Smith Street (outdoor hawker dining although pricier) to grab a meal. The abovementioned food places all offer hawker fare for reasonable prices. If you want something more “hipster”, you can head down to the Keong Saik Road area which has many cafes and coffee places as well.