Singapore's Chinatown is the traditional Chinese quarters of town, and while the entire city
is largely Chinese these days the area does retain some of its own charm.
Chinatown's primary attraction is the town itself, composed as it is of restored shophouses
full of strange little shops selling everything from plastic Buddhas to dried seahorses. Wander
at random and see what you can find!
The central streets of Chinatown around the pagoda are packed with near-identical stalls
selling all sorts of Chinese trinkets aimed squarely at tourists. There is also a cluster
of (expensive) antique shops on South Bridge Rd. For Chinese handicrafts, antiques, fashion
items, home accessories and Chinese medicine aimed more at the locals, poke into any of
the numerous shopping malls.
The area between Pagoda Street and Smith Street has been tarted up considerably for tourists,
but workaday Chinatown continues south and east, merging seamlessly into the Central
Business District. Tanjong Pagar is the unofficial home of Singapore's gay community, with many
watering holes in restored shophouses, while Club Street and Ann Siang Hill caters more
to the expat, yuppie and hipster crowd with small, intimate eateries offering excellent
(if pricey) Western and modern Singaporean fare. Hence Chinatown is quite the paradox
- simultaneously the gaudiest and trendiest district in Singapore.
Chinatown is at its busiest and most colorful in the month preceding the Chinese New Year,
when the streets are decked with festive decorations. Street markets are thronged with people, shows
entertain the crowds and the drums of lion dances echo into the night. The festivities
in a midnight countdown and a roar of firecrackers atop People's Park Complex, showering flaming
confetti down below; and for the two following days virtually everything is closed.