I have been going around Singapore(新加坡) these few days, trying to explore every nook and canny of my homeland.
Did I say explore? Yes! You must be wondering why I didn’t blog about my own country, despite that I have published 160 over posts since April ’08 in this travel photo blog, yet all are not related to Singapore!
I admit that I took for granted everything I had back home. But now, I can tell you that Singapore is definitely MORE BEAUTIFUL than ever!
Living in a cultural melting pot with a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian communities, there is so much to blog about Singapore!
In this series, let me show you around Chinatown, a place where I used to stay until I was two years old.
The Chinatown in Singapore is known as “牛车水”, literally means “ox-cart water”, which is an echo of its Malay name “Kreta Ayer” meaning “cart” and “water”. The name comes from ox-drawn carts that were used to transport water to the area in the past.
This area in Chinatown is a national heritage site designated for conservation. The shophouses combine different elements of Baroque and Victorian architectures. Mind you, the distinctive red rooftops of these heritage shophouses remind me of Prague!!
Singapore population is around 4.6 million, with Chinese as the largest ethnic group composing approximately 75% of the population, Malays 15%, Indians about 10% and a small percentage of other races. Each racial group has its own distinctive religion, yet all races in Singapore live together harmoniously.
Along the same stretch of road, you can see that there is a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple and a mosque. The left top image shown below is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, next is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple known as Sri Mariamman Temple and the bottom left is one of the earliest mosques in Singapore, known as Masjid Jamae (Jamae Chulia mosque).
Do these shophouses look European? This is Chinatown…
Let’s zoom in to Chinatown now!
Chinatown Food Street
You can get tourist information from the Chinatown Heritage Centre located in the heart of Chinatown.
Rows of heritage shophouses painted in pastel colours standing elegantly along the streets of Chinatown.
Shophouses with floral print like a lady’s dress.
This is the very unit that I once lived! I just noticed recently that it is given a new coat of paint, and that is very red!
Not only that the heritage shophouses are coated with pastel colours, some are strikingly bright too.
There are so many souvenir shops in Chinatown that you will be spoilt for choices.
Chinatown is not only a historical district, it is also a cultural hub of the Chinese community in Singapore. During Chinese New Year Celebration every year, Chinatown is wonderfully decorated with colourful lighting and the streets are awfully packed with people doing their shopping for the festive season.
The Majestic (大华戏院) was once a Cantonese Opera House. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II, it was used to screen Japanese propaganda films. The Majestic is now a historic building in Chinatown.
Below this level is Chinatown MRT (stands for Mass Rapid Transit). Singapore is a very tourist friendly country; you will never get lost with the effective public transport system!
The best place to try out authentic Singapore food would be any hawker centre. One of the famous hawker centres in Singapore is Maxwell Road Food Centre located in Chinatown. I bet you will drool at the food!
Obviously, the bowl with traces of chilli oil is curry noodle that will turn your face red while eating it. The other bowl is porridge with slices of pork and century egg. Do you know what is “century egg”?
Have you been to Singapore before? Come back for my next episode about Singapore!
Read posts on Singapore Changi Airport, Southern Ridges, Kampong Glam | Merlion, Esplanade & Singapore Flyer | Singapore Chill Out | Uniquely Singapore | Henderson Waves bridge
I take great pride being the first one to comment on Eunice’s premier Singapore blog ~ Uniquely Singapore! Congratulations Eunice, you finally heard our little voices (Bridge, KC, and Jasper).
I intentionally blogged about Singapore first to encourage you to blog more about it! Haha ~ hidden purpose. It’s worth-it indeed, look how gorgeous your post is. I’m so overwhelmed.
Girl, that’s not my comment yet. Let me start now. Firstly, I noticed, you are now using Adobe Photoshop WISELY, PRACTICALLY, and BEAUTIFULLY… I am so proud of you. Now, you will start to feel the “hard work” in blogging.
Secondly, that Chinatown you posted reminded me of my first night in Singapore. My hubby and I were supposed to stay at that very nice, colorful, flowery like, low-story chinatown hotel, but it so happened that it’s FULL… Maybe it’s always full. They guy didn’t tell us it’s fully occupied over the phone. When we arrived, he said it’s full and if we add more payment he can make room for us. HELL, we left right away.
Lastly, what the heck is CENTURY EGG? Egg that is 100 years old? I realized Singapore is an exciting town. Next time I come there I can meet you up and Shawn, then you two can tour me around.
That’s all folks! Thank you!
Also, PRAGUE, PRAGUE, PRAGUE… I’m dying to go there. Limzhi went there too. My turn will come soon. Cross Fingers!
Nice and informative tour. I will be staying at Hotel 81 Chinatown next month. I had a branch office also in Chinatown Point. This is sure a head start for my journey.
Welcoming your 1st post on Uniquely Singapore !
A great location to start off with, nice photos too ! Keep it up and continue writing and posting !
Finally… Singapore got her chance to show off in Travelerfolio….ha…ha..
i remember shopping here and eating in one of these foodcourts! 😀
First let me tell why am sooo fascinated by Singapore and wanted u to blog about it too !! Well its like this , No matter Wherever a person lives , he/she is always attracted to a place where his Ripe OWN ppl are ! And in that way , Am always attracted and always wanted to see Singapore and malaysia , which have the most no. of Tamilians in the world , only next to India !
I felt goose-bumps seeing the MariAmman temple’s “Gopuram” (that’s what they call the top part of the Hindu temple) , as it very much resembles the Amman Temple in my very own street ! 🙂
I always had this thought – Explore your own country to its bits and pieces before you start exploring the world !! Glad that u realized what a Beautiful country you live in , and also glad that the few of us played a part in it ! 🙂 Am sure waitin for your next episode on Sg !! 🙂
wow!!! i l o v e ur pics!!!!
chinatown in Singapore? y i din get to visit those places in ur pics wen im there? sobs!!
Hi sis, glad your blogging now about Singapore! I love this place and I’ll be looking forward to more of your posts.
oh.. i’m really craving for singapore… i’ve been on the changi airport for a transit to hongkong that time. haha..
and those colourful paints…. gosh. awesome!! 😀
Lovely Singapore place.
That’s why im saving hard money to go there either this year/ next year…
wow eunice the photos you have here is magnificent….I’m glad you blog about your own country..nice one girl….I have a cousin who worked in Singapore before, shes a nurse and she keeps on telling me Singapore is a nice place it’s so clean and elegant…no doubt based on your pictures.Singapore is a really nice place and now if God’s permits I really wanted to visit Singapore…muah..ingats….
wow i can see my pic now…muah..love it….
Wow!Singapore….my neighbour…haha….the Chinatown is very beautiful neh!hope can go there one day….^^
蕾蕾~
Oh, I have never been to Spore before except for a transit at Changi airport. Hopefully someday I will be able to visit ur beautiful country 🙂
@Bridge: Maybe I should start a be-first-to-comment contest! And all your voices are not little ok! And echoes come after your voices! hehehe!
Hullo! I’ve been using Photoshop since day 1 ok! And every post I made here comes with sweat! It’s hard work since day 1! Heheh but I enjoy blogging! “It’s my passion to travel so I blog it..” advertisement time haha! Any Sponsors here?
@Borneo Falcon: Great! You make a wise choice to stay in Chinatown! There are many nice eateries, good bargains and is central to most attractions!
@JH: Thanks! I had been thinking where should I start first! There are so much to blog about Singapore, now then I realised!
@Cecil: XP I will be proudly presenting Singapore in the coming weeks!
@Jasper: Cool! How many times have you been to Singapore? Backpack boy!
@KC: “Am always attracted and always wanted to see Singapore and malaysia , which have the most no. of Tamilians in the world , only next to India” -> Hey, I didn’t know that! Actually I wanted to dedicate the photo of the Hindu temple to you, and it happens that this temple is similar to the one in your hometown! What a coincident!
“I felt goose-bumps seeing the MariAmman temple’s “Gopuram” (that’s what they call the top part of the Hindu temple)” -> What you feel goose-bumps about the “top part of the Hindu Temple”?
@Meimei: Oh no! How could you miss this lovely part of Singapore! It’s in the central district! Nevermind, this gives you the chance to come back again!
@Asian Traveler: Yes! Stay tuned for more to come!
@Pineapple: ic, next time come visit Singapore, don’t just transit from SG! SG is definitely as good as Hong Kong, if not better! 😀
@Jerome: Take a coach come SG la, you already save a lot that you don’t need take plane to come SG. Stay in hostels, one night can be less than S$30 only, in central area. Cheap cheap.
@Cinderella: I believe you will come visit SG one day! Oh ya, your photo looks great, despite a little small here heheh
@Forever HL: Yeah! We are good neighbours right?!!! I am going Malaysia soon too!
Oyee.. I meant i felt goosebumps cos the top part of that temple in Sg resembled the top part of the temple in my street !! So the coincidence only gave goosebumps !! Understood ??! 🙂
@KC: OIC! This is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, surely built by your folks from India that’s why. I used to stay along that street when I was just a baby. (Now I am a babe, drop the ‘y’, add the ‘e’) XD
that definitely looks like Penang… the hawker centre looks like petaling street in KL. haha. The weather wasn’t good? rainy or something?
@Chee Wei: Agreed partially, hehe, cos SG Chinatown is very clean and well restored! 😛 I’ve been to Penang before, and I love Penang food! The weather wasn’t good for the past few days when we went around to take photos; it was drizzling! So pixx…
wow amazing placesssssssssss.. i want to go there :((. please foot bring me there
or i want to be a jumper. hehehe. this is nice eunice (cheer)
Oh Babe eh ?! I cee.. I cee..
Ok then Aunty.. C u later ! he he :p
Hi Eunice! How did you get all these wonderful pictures? Did you fly to get all the aerial views? Did you get on a heli ride just to take very nice pictures? We’re wondering! Your cam is super power!
Anyways, we’ve not been to your country yet. We believe that there are a lot to see and a lot to know about the place. All the pics you posted gave us the bird’s eye view of how beautiful Singapore is. Some more photos please!!!
We love your site! You’ve done an awesome job! Keep it up!
Eunice, of course your blog is my favourite in Singapore…. It is the only singapore one I have seen… Neat pics. Keep writing.
@melee: Come come!
@KC: er hem… do you want to start some war now? U can’t win me u know, little boy.. heheh
@Gilbert/Cely: First, thank you for visiting! There are high rise buildings everywhere in Singapore; just take a lift, go up to the top floor of those buildings, and viola! You will see what are captured here! Yes, stay tuned for more about SG =)
@Keith: Thank you for visiting! Yes, this is just the first episode of this series about SG =)
i will sure go bak there again, & wen im thr..u must b my tour guide!!
@meimei: Sure! Guess I can plan to be a tour guide ler… cos Cheewei also coming SG in Sept and wants me to be his tour guide too! Supposed to meet Cheerful from the Philippines but somehow we missed each other.
@Cinderella: Ingats! Only know this =P
Eunice tomorrow is the last day of voting..hahah..nervous or excited???I’m sure you will win…good luck girl. Am I hear the word Philippines?Did you already visit my country??hehehe….ingats..ja ne
i’ve been there only once. i might be back sometime soon (hopefully)
@Cinderella: Yes, one more day for voting! But we only know the result on 5 Sept… I only know ingats! hehe, er.. what is ja ne?
@Jasper: Cool, we are neighbours afterall! =D
eunice this is the moment…hehehe..the last day of voting…weeeee….im nervous, but what?sept.5?so it means a long wait???hehehe…hmmmm i have to pray harder for that….ja ne? means see you in japanese….ingats and ja ne..muah
Singapore is such lovely country. I will include it in my list of places to visit.
@Cinderella: hehe, will let you know the result! Ingats!
@leafless: Absolutely beautiful! Must visit! =)
Nicey pics, reminds me that I haven’t been to Sg for nearly a decade now. When was it the last time…ahh…2001. Not that I’ve seen these before when I was there. Thanks for sharing such lovely photos.
@AkiraSabine: That’s way too long ago! SG has changed alot since then. Come SG again! =D
Hey! nice post you have here!
Anyway may i ask, why did you move out of the area/unit?
Did you get chase out?
Do you think it’s for commercialisation purposes?
Just wondering what URA and STB is doing and whether you would have any information about it 🙂
Hopefully you can reply soon!
i m cuming soon$$$$$$$$$$$$ i love singapore