Singapore's Chinatown - A Heritage Area

Chinatown is one of the key heritage areas in Singapore, along with Little India and Kampong Glam. I love visiting these areas and discovering new things each time. Today I had the opportunity to visit Chinatown more leisurely so I took more snaps than normal :-)

 I started from the corner of Temple Street and walked straight along South Bridge Road, host to these sights:

Lunar New Year buntings along South Bridge Road.



The oldest Hindu temple in the country happens to be at the corner
of Temple Street in Chinatown...
more of the temple later

One of the streets, Smith Street, is dedicated to all that we love - Food! I remember having tasted the chilliest crab in town in one of the hawker stalls here

After a few minutes of walking, I stopped at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at the corner of South Bridge and Sago Lane. This was where I spent most of my two-hour "immersion"... I was quite contented simply soaking in the opulence of the place, listening to the soothing chants, disturbed only by the clink of the coins as they hit the donation jars - an old lady sitting in the corner told me that these donations apparently go into helping cancer patients like her. 


The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - it's a long name, and I also spent the longest stop
in there ...As the name suggests, the temple was built to house the tooth relic
of a historical Buddha from a Myanmar temple

This temple though is not for the faint-hearted...a fierce creature is guarding the door!


One of the things that fascinated me is the symmetry of the roofs



Today is an extra busy day it seems, both with tourists, and local residents as Chinese Lunar New Year is just around the corner




One of the treasures inside the temple

One literature says that there's a hundred Buddhas lining up the walls of the temple as "One Hundred Buddhas have the ability to help the world..." In any case, it actually looks more than a hundred to me, counting the smaller Buddhas that surround the bigger ones



Based on one's zodiac year, there is supposedly a special Buddha meant to guide each person. Mine is Amitabha...

Amitabha up close...according to Wiki, Amitabha translates to "Infinite Light"...he is apparently the Buddha of comprehensive love - it all sounds good to me :-) 



A closer look of the medium-sized Buddhas lining up one side...they are surrounded by many smaller ones



The biggest Buddhas taking centre stage



The left-side wall from the South Bridge entrance



Eternity fountain or maybe the water circle...I'm just guessing the name, but the message about continuity, serenity, interconnectedness and flow is crystal clear to me :-)


A shophouse along Sago lane

Sago Lane and adjacent streets are dotted with souvenir shops and stalls that sell trinkets of all types at knock-out prices...from key chains to kimonos or cheongsam, jade and other semi-precious stones to paper art and calligraphy, hanging decorations including the ubiquitous red paper lanterns. I think one can find everything that one will ever need and won't need at Chinatown...

But perhaps the half hour or so at the temple helped me muster loads of willpower, because on this trip, I only bought a few items, and I swear they are things that are really needed :-)

All the laughing Buddhas

And more laughter in the neighbourhood



Along Smith Street - the uncle plays an stringed musical instrument...I was too shy to take a closer photo



It happens...even in Singapore. 

I've taken a full circle and now I'm back where I started...at Temple Street. This is the entrance to the Sri Mariamman temple, founded in 1827 and now considered a National Monument because of its historical significance. The temple is quite popular among tourists judging by the frequency of tourist buses that stop in front.


The ceiling as seen from the doorway (couldn't take much photo inside as it is not allowed. Well actually, one can take photos after paying a certain fee...but I thought against it.)

On my way to the taxi stand, I saw this tiny window that looks into the temple's inner courtyard


All blue...including my favourite cab ;-)
And before I knew it, my "immersion" time was up...the heat was becoming unbearable anyways (I've put the paper fan I've bought into good use already --- as I've said, I've only bought things that are really "needed":-), so off I went, but looking forward to my next trip when I'm sure I will discover yet more new things!!!

#Singapore #Chinatown #BuddhaToothRelicTemple #SriMariammanTemple #yoursingapore

Location: Chinatown, Singapore

Popular posts from this blog

Pinto Art Museum: A Must-Visit Art Destination in Philippines

Image
It was a rainy Tuesday when we went to Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo, Philippines. Such a weather would have been ideal for a museum tour, normally an indoor activity. Pinto Art Museum, however, is not just an ordinary museum. It is a cluster of galleries sitting in more than an hectare of landscaped gardens, in the hills of Antipolo, overlooking the huge megalopolis that is Metro Manila. It is a place that begs to be explored, both inside and out. So armed with our umbrellas, we braved the rain, and was rewarded with the many charms around. The cozy cafe by the entrance is perfect for late breakfast... or simply a good cup of coffee - a steaming one was just right for the weather that day. The pouring rain almost stopped us from discovering the charms beyond the gates. Glad that we had "rain or shine" as mantra that day. A small chapel near the entrance. With an umbrella in one hand, and a camera in the other, taking a decent photo was a bit tricky, and so I m...
Read more

Bhutan: Windows and Doors of Bhutan (Land of Happiness)

Image
Last May, I went with a group of fellow photography enthusiasts to Bhutan in what proved to be a trip of a lifetime in more ways than one. The place is blessed with well-conserved natural resources, (lush mountains, clear streams, calm valleys),  its distinct culture which is greatly influenced by Buddhism, and the warmth of its people, who are generally ready to share a smile. Aside from these, what sets Bhutan apart from many Asian countries is its unique architecture. I'll be sharing more of my experience in future posts but for now, I'd like to share a few snaps, specifically a facet of Bhutanese architecture, its doors and windows. This window design typical of many houses and buildings in Bhutan Doors are as equally interesting...this one from a temple in Bhumtang Tashiccho Dzong in Thimpu Near Punakha Dzong In a temple complex in Bumthang...this is where the townsfolk light up candles Behind Tashiccho Dzong in Thimpu A prayer wh...
Read more

SingPoWriMo 2014: Anthology

Image
Singapore Poetry Writing Month or SingPoWriMo is a curious phenomenon in the literary scene: it started out in the virtual world (a Facebook group set up in April), where members/poets of every stripe, young and old, veterans and emerging were challenged to respond to daily prompts during the "cruel month of April" aka Poetry Month. Many of the prompts were deeply challenging: Day 1 for example involved the use of 6 words including debauched, trade, exclusive, Day 4 encouraged the use of one-syllable poems, Day 16 was the writing in a different language and dialect, and so on . Clearly these kept the poets engaged as new poems cropped up everyday in response to the prompts. By the end of the month, the group eventually grew to more than 450 members, collectively producing hundreds of poems.  Apart from the sharing of poems, there was too a lively exchange of thoughts on the site - many members were actively engaged, going beyond mere "liking", and responding to o...
Read more