Chinatown, a magnet for tourists in Singapore
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Singapore
Singapore has long been known as a shopping mecca for tourists. But the tiny country also offers rich cultural heritage, which has been well-preserved and is an interesting side for visitors to explore.
One such area of interest is Singapore's Chinatown, which has been successfully preserved by the government. The area not only serves as the center and source of national culture but also a place where tourists can learn about the country's history, particularly its function as a melting pot between the West and the East. Despite its name, Chinatown also serves as an important area for other ethnicities.
The successful renovation of old buildings in the area involved private sectors and citizens to provide tourist facilities, including dining and ethnic shopping.
Telok Ayer Street is the recommended starting point for touring Chinatown as visitors will be able to see three national heritage spots -- the Thian Hock Keng temple, the Nagore Durgha Shrine and the al-Abrar Mosque.
Built in 1839 and finished in 1842 by the first immigrants from mainland China, the Thian Hock Keng Temple was an expression of gratitude to the gods because the sailors were able to land safely at their new destination.
The temple, whose renovation was just finished early this year, is painted in mostly red and gold. Hundreds of tourists flock to this temple every day.
"The temple's colors are the original paint from when it was constructed. You may notice that nails were not used during the construction of the temple," Adrian, a tourist guide, told several journalists during a recent media tour organized by American Express International, Inc.
The second point of interest to take in is the al-Abrar Mosque, which was built between 1850 and 1885. It is also known as Koochoo Pally (small temple) and stands as a symbol of the initial South Indian Muslim migration to Singapore. Despite its function as a tourist attraction, the mosque is used by hundreds of Muslim for their Friday mass prayer.
The Nagare Durgha Shrine is an older mosque built between 1828 and 1830, also by Muslim migrants from South India.
Still on Telok Ayer Street, visitors can easily spot three sculptures depicting the story of the early Chinese immigrants: A sampan, a Chinese lantern festival procession and an Indian milk trader at Telok Ayer Green.
The Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road is the next recommended place to visit. Traversing the road, visitors to the temple will see how it became the traditional location for goldsmiths, pawn shops and Chinese apothecaries.
Inside an apothecary, visitors suffering from any kind of ailment can try out a treatment, which are used by Singaporeans.
The oldest Hindu temple was built in 1827 and dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, who is believed to cure serious diseases, including cholera, chicken pox and small pox, which gives us an indication of the poor standard of health at that time.
The priests in the temple advise visitors to ring the bell to inform the gods that they are coming. Likewise, when leaving the temple, visitors must ring the bell for their departure.
Exiting the temple, you will see many statues of sitting cows -- the sacred animal in Hinduism -- along the temple's wall at the corner of South Bridge Road and Pagoda Street.
The Mariamman temple's most important ceremony is the Thimithi to honor the goddess. During the ceremony, devotees walk over hot coals to test their spirituality.
Other interesting sites to see in Chinatown are Niu Che Shui, which includes the Chinatown Heritage Center on Pagoda Street, the Chinatown Food Street on Smith Street and Hong Lim Park Speakers' Corner on Pekin Street.
Singaporeans believe that Chinatown's history is linked to the establishment of a trading post on the island in 1819 by Stanford Raffles. Chinatown is located near the mouth of the Singapore River.
As a free port, Singapore was a magnet for new immigrants seeking their fortunes. The first junk-load of immigrants arrived at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1921 from Xiamen in the Fujian province of China.
Chinatown became a home to immigrants, while the nearby Singapore River became a place to find work. Conditions were harsh, sanitation was bad and gang crime was rampant at that time.
Chinese make up 77 percent of the total population of four million in Singapore. Malays make up 14 percent, Indians form 8 percent and a mix of other ethnicities make up the remaining 1 percent of the population.
The Singaporean government has managed to make rundown areas into attractive spots for tourists by renovating a number of buildings and other interesting points into dining and shopping facilities.
"The government's goal to make Chinatown a significant tourist destination has been quite successful. We don't only have shopping malls for tourists, but cultural attractions as well," said Adrian.