Singapore
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Singapore - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
ChinatownBeautiful by day but especially lovely by night, Chinatown’s most iconic landmark is tiered in ornate red and gold, the design inspired by the Buddhist mandala, a symbol of Buddhist culture that represents the universe. The temple takes its name from what’s thought to be the left canine tooth of the Buddha, recovered from his funeral pyre in India and displayed inside the temple grounds.
228 South Bridge Rd., Singapore, Singapore, 058840, Singapore6220--0220Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
2. Sri Mariamman Temple
ChinatownSingapore's oldest Hindu temple has a pagoda-like entrance topped by one of the most ornate gopurams (pyramidal gateway towers) you're likely to ever see outside of South India. Hundreds of brightly colored statues of deities and mythical animals line the tiers of this towering porch; glazed concrete cows sit, seemingly in great contentment, atop the surrounding walls. The story of this temple begins with Naraina Pillay, Singapore's first recorded Indian immigrant, who arrived on the same ship as Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and set up his own construction business, often using convicts sent to Singapore from India, quickly making a fortune. The first temple, built in 1827 of wood and attap (wattle and daub), was replaced in 1843 by the current brick structure. The gopuram was added in 1936. Inside are some spectacular paintings that have been restored by Tamil craftsmen brought over from South India. This is where Hindu weddings, as well as the firewalking festival Thimithi, take place.
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3. Thian Hock Keng Temple
ChinatownThis structure was completed in 1842 to replace a simple shrine built 20 years earlier. It's one of Singapore's oldest Chinese temples, built on the spot where, prior to land reclamation, immigrants stepped ashore after a hazardous journey across the China Sea. In gratitude for their safe passage, the Hokkien people dedicated the temple to Ma Chu P'oh, the goddess of the sea. It's richly decorated with gilded carvings, sculptures, tile roofs topped with dragons, and fine carved-stone pillars. On either side of the entrance are two stone lions. The one on the left is female and holds a cup symbolizing fertility; the other, a male, holds a ball, a symbol of wealth. If the temple is open, note that as you enter, you must step over a high threshold board. This serves a dual function. First, it forces devotees to look downward, as they should when entering the temple. Second, it keeps out wandering ghosts—ghosts tend to shuffle their feet, so if they try to enter, the threshold board will trip them. Inside, a statue of a maternal Ma Chu P'oh surrounded by masses of burning incense and candles dominates the room. On either side of her are the deities of health (on your left) and wealth. The two tall figures you'll notice are her sentinels: one can see for 1,000 miles; the other can hear for 1,000 miles. The gluey black substance on their lips—placed there by devotees in days past—is opium, meant to heighten their senses. Although the main temple is Taoist, the temple at the back is Buddhist and dedicated to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Her many arms represent how she reaches out to all those who suffer on earth. This is a good place to learn your fortune. Choose a number out of the box, then pick up two small stenciled pieces of wood at the back of the altar and let them fall to the ground. If they land showing opposite faces, then the number you have picked is valid. If they land same-side up, try again. From a valid number, the person in the nearby booth will tell you your fate, and whether you like the outcome or not, you pay for the information. Leave the grounds by the alley that runs alongside the main temple. The two statues to the left are the gambling brothers. They will help you choose a lucky number for your next betting session; if you win, you must return and place lighted cigarettes in their hands.
View Tours and Activities158 Telok Ayer St., Singapore, Singapore, 068613, Singapore6423–4616Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
4. Al-Abrar Mosque
ChinatownStanding on a busy road in Chinatown, this ornate mosque was once just a thatched hut, built in 1827 as one of Singapore's first mosques for Indian Muslims. Also known as Kuchu Palli (Tamil for "mosque hut"), the existing structure dates from 1855. Though much of the mosque's original ornamentation has been replaced, its original timber panels and fanlight windows have remained. You can visit during the week except on a Friday lunchtime, when devotees flock in for the midday prayers.
192 Telok Ayer St., Singapore, Singapore, 068635, Singapore6220–6306Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun., Free -
5. Blair Road
ChinatownThe heritage houses that line Blair Road are a sight to be seen with their beautiful Peranakan floor tiles, mint green facades, and French-style shutters. They were built in the 1900s in response to the increasing demand from well-to-do Chinese merchants who wanted new homes for their families. Nowadays, they look too pretty to live in, but some people are lucky enough to call them home—which means you can't go inside and should be conscientious with your photography. Still, just strolling the street outside is enough to give you a taste of what it might be like to live here.
3--57 Blair Rd., Singapore, Singapore, 089903, Singapore -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Chinatown Complex
ChinatownTypically, this market is swamped. On the first floor, hawker stalls sell local eats that are great for a quick, cheap meal, but it's the basement floor that fascinates. Here, you'll find a wet market—so called because water is continually sloshed over the floors to clean them—where meat, fowl, and fish are bought and sold. There's also an open-air produce market where you can find bargain local fruit—including the infamous durian—for an after-lunch snack.
335 Smith St., Singapore, Singapore, 050335, Singapore -
7. Chinese Theatre Circle
Chinatown | Arts/Performance VenueThe Chinese Circle Theatre (CTC) is a nonprofit organization that's been cultivating an appreciation of Cantonese opera since 1981. Check out one of their dinner performances every Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 9 and gain some insight into this particular art form. The Theatre Circle is set up along a stretch of Smith Street that transforms into a pedestrian zone nightly and brings to mind the hustle and bustle of the street hawkers from the 1970s.
5 Smith St, Singapore, Central Singapore, 058919, Singapore-6323–4862Sight Details
Rate Includes: S$35 -
8. Jamae Mosque
ChinatownPopularly called Masjid Chulia, this simple, almost austere mosque was built in 1826 by Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast, on its southeast shore. So long as it's not prayer time and the doors are open, you're welcome to step inside for a look. Note that you must be dressed conservatively and take your shoes off before entering.
218 South Bridge Rd., Singapore, Singapore, 058767, Singapore6221–4165Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
9. Speakers' Corner
ChinatownAlso known as Hong Lim Park, this spot was declared a "free speech zone" by the government in 2001. It looks like nothing more than a small patch of grass, but from 7 am to 7 pm on some days, you may be able to catch carefully crafted words and speeches from people with an opinion to share. Those who wish to speak need to register with the police at the park station or online. This was intended as a place for people to express their opinions freely, but it hasn't been very successful: you can't address religious or racial issues, and having to register means that your presence has been noted.
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10. Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple
ChinatownThis small but incredibly ornate temple is covered with tiny pale blue and baby pink statues in typical Hindu style. It was first built in 1925 in honor of Lord Vinayagar—also known as Lord Ganesha, the most widely worshipped Hindu god. He has three deity statues dedicated to him in the main sanctum, one of which was brought from India. It's worth visiting just to admire from the outside as you breathe in the heavy scents of incense, but you can go inside as long as there isn't a worship session taking place.
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