• SiewchSingapore & Tokyo | Sept 2025Traveler
    The Pinnacle dominated the landscape around Duxton Hill. Believe it or not, this is public housing.
    Shop facades around Chinatown Station.Shop facades around Chinatown Station.Shop facades around Chinatown Station.A sign outside a cat cafe.The Nanyang Coffee outlet along South Bridge Rd featured a small museum of coffee shop memorabilia.The Nanyang Coffee outlet along South Bridge Rd featured a small museum of coffee shop memorabilia.Masjid Jamae Chulia along South Bridge Road.Atlas Obscura-listed Sri Mariammam Temple along South Bridge Road.The Atlas Obscura-listed Buddha Tooth Relic Temple along South Bridge Road.Ann Siang Hill.A gay bar at Ann Siang Hill.Ann Siang Hill shopfronts featured elaborate tiles.Office buildings as viewed from Ann Siang Hill.Ann Siang Hill.Some of the less-restored shop facades at Ann Siang Hill.Ann Siang Hill.Statue of samsui women along Maxwell Road.Street scenes from the Duxton area.Street scenes from the Duxton area.Street scenes from the Duxton area, with the Pinnacle behind the shophouses.What Party, by KAWS from the US, 2020. From afar, I thought this was a Botero sculpture.Chettiars' Temple Society, Keong Saik Road.Pearl's Hill, which, along with The Pinnacle, is a highly sought after public housing project.Atlas Obscura-listed Place of Refuge. I could not figure out the context for this plaque.

    Chinatown and Surrounding Areas

    September 6 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    On Saturday afternoon, I set off for Chinatown armed with a map of murals to track down. This entry records some of the sights I saw along the way; the mural photos are in a separate entry.

    I started my explorations at Chinatown Station. The first murals I looked for were between Chinatown Station and South Bridge Road to the east. At South Bridge Road, I turned north to explore some murals. Along the way, I saw two Atlas Obscura-listed places of worship - Sri Mariammam Temple, and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. I then backtracked and made my way south to Ann Siang Hill. After that, I went southwest towards the Duxton Hill area, before turning heading west to Craig Road and north to Neil Road. From Neil Road, I turned north towards Keong Saik Road before ending my explorations at the Majestic Hotel which features another Atlas Obscura - a plaque site called the Place of Refuge. Unfortunately, I could not make sense of what the plaque was about, and the Atlas Obscura writeup also lacked context.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buddha-toot…
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sri-mariamm…
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/place-of-re…

    After my explorations, I took the MRT from Outram Station back to my mother's condo where I had a nice refreshing dip in the pool to cool off.

    This was a fun outing and I got to explore an area I normally wouldn't have explored on foot. Chinatown and its surrounding area has been spruced up nicely, but, sadly, the lived-in authenticity is now gone. I much preferred Little India which I visited yesterday because it still feels lived in.

    I wish I had thought to download mural maps of Little India and Kampong Glam, as that would have given additional structure to my wanderings yesterday. I intend to do more mural hunting in those districts when I return to Singapore in February next year.    Read more