THE MAP + THE STOPS ON OUR TRAIL

Important Things You’ll Need

❏ This Guidebook

❏ Pen/Pencil

❏ Electronic Device with QR Code Scanner

❏ Money (For Food and Souvenirs)

❏ Internet Connection (Free wifi available at Chinatown)

The Plan

- START -

Travel to South Bridge Road

Jamae Mosque

Walk along Pagoda Street

Sri Mariamman Temple

Multi-ethnic tailor shop

Sago and Trengganu Street

Spot the Indian Henna Store

Chinese Pioneers playing Chinese Chess behind Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Visit the Chinatown Visitor Centre

Food break @ Chinatown Food Street

- END -

Travelling to South Bridge Road

On your way to South Bridge Road, prepare for your journey by scanning the

following QR codes for information about the trail stops.

Chinatown

Sri Mariamman temple

Jamae Mosque

Video on Jamae Mosque Information on Jamae Mosque

Complete this word search on the trail’s highlights! (KID-FRIENDLY)

Jamae Mosque

Jamae Mosque is an architectural wonder, infusing Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures.

Set up in Chinatown by the Chulia Muslims who lived there during Singapore’s early days,

Jamae Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Chinatown. Instead of Kampong Glam, the

local Malay enclave, Chinatown is home to one of the oldest mosques in Singapore.

Is this not proof of Singapore’s multi-ethnicity?

KIDS! Sketch Jamae Mosque and label its cultural symbols. Remember to include their

significance!

Walk along Pagoda Street

Pagoda Street

Popular for its Jamae Mosque and

Sri Mariamman Temple, Pagoda

Street is a pedestrian shopping mall.

It even got its name from the

presence of Sri Mariamman

Temple. Pagoda means ‘temple’

and also refers to the temple’s

pyramidal tower, called gopuram in

Tamil. The Sri Mariamman Temple

was such an important landmark

that it gave the street its name.

Pagoda Street is known for its

opium-smoking dens in the early

19th century which later became a

coolie trading centre. In the early 20th century, it developed into a coolie lodging place. Due

to urbanisation in Singapore in the mid-20th century, the street was reinvented as a

commercial place dealing in retail and services.

Pagoda Street is now a part of the Chinatown Conservation District and is being remodelled

by the Singapore Tourism Board to showcase life in Chinatown in the olden days.

KIDS: Look around for unique toys and games!

Sri Mariamman Temple

The oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, the Sri Mariamman Temple

dates back to 1827. It was built by immigrants from the

Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India and was once

known as Mariamman Kovli or Kling Street Temple. It is dedicated

to the goddess Mariamman, known for her power to cure illnesses

and diseases.

Here, we can go in to feel the atmosphere in a Hindu temple. Please

do remember to be dressed well, with no scanty clothes. Also,

respect the Hindu religion and keep any personal religious thoughts

to yourself. Do not disturb the worshippers. You may also take

photographs outside the temple.

Multi-ethnic Tailor Shop

Along Pagoda Street is an assortment of tailor shops.

Despite being located in Chinatown, many of these shops

are run by Indians. Not only do they sell Indian clothes,

they also sell clothes from all kinds of cultures. From

kimonos to Western suits, they’ve got it all covered!

Sago and Trengganu Street

With a wide variety of products ranging from delectable local snacks to intricately crafted

souvenirs, Sago and Trengganu Street are not to be missed!

As you walk down the streets, do shop around for souvenirs and interact with the shop

owners to gain some insight into their daily lives.

Sago Street

The street received its name during the 1840s due to the fact

that there were numerous sago factories on the street, where

pith of the rumbia palm was made into flour that was

commonly used to make local snacks and cakes.

However, different dialect groups have different names for

the street. The Cantonese call the street ‘little temple street’

because of the tua peh kong temple located there. The

Hokkiens call the street asgu chia chui hi hng koi cheng koi,

meaning ‘the street in front of the theatre in Kreta Ayer’.

It now houses food outlets, bars, retail shops as well as a row of pushcarts selling a range of

items.

Trengganu Street

Trengganu Street was once described as "the Piccadilly of Chinese Singapore". It takes its

name from Trengganu, a sultanate and state on the northeastern side of present day

Peninsular Malaysia.

Hawkers of all races used to sell a variety of wares, from cheap street food to household

goods, day and night on Trengganu Street.

Today, Trengganu Street has been converted into a pedestrian mall. Some of the shophouses

are home to performing arts groups. Take a stroll down its vibrant and colourful streets and

see for yourself why it was dubbed the ‘Picadilly of Chinese Singapore’!

Try to Spot the Iconic Indian Henna Store in Chinatown

As you walk along the streets, try to spot the iconic Indian Henna stall, further evidence

of Chinatown’s multi-ethnicity!

What do the different henna designs symbolise?

Birds are messengers: parrots are

messengers of love, swans are messengers

of success and peacocks are well known

for their beauty so this is what they

symbolize in mehndi.

Flowers represent joy and happiness and

the flower bud (which is very popular in

bridal mehndi) is symbolic of growth or

new beginnings. A lotus flower represents

grace, sensuality, purity, femininity and

creativity and the sahasrara (a thousand

petal lotus) represents the uniting of the

soul with the Divine Source therefore is a religious symbol.

Vines and leaves show devotion and are a must have mehndi design at a wedding ceremony.

Butterflies and dragonflies are symbolize rebirthing or change and the very popular and

delicate paisley mehndi are representative of luck and fertility.

Scorpions are representative of love and romance. Lizards and snakes are seen as seekers of

enlightenment though they are not as common today and the humble tortoise represent

fertility and protection.

Chinese Chess

What is Chinese Chess?

Chinese chess, also known as Xiangqi, is a strategic

board game for two players. The game represents a

battle between two armies with the objective being

capturing the enemy's general (king). Distinctive

features of Xiangqi include: the requirement that the

cannon (pao), must jump over another piece to

capture an enemy piece; there is a rule prohibiting the

generals from facing each other directly; areas on the

board called the river and palace, which restricts the

movement of some pieces (but enhance that of

others); and placement of the pieces on the intersections of the board lines, rather than within

the squares.

ACTIVITIES

1. Watch the elderly gentlemen play Chinese chess.

a. These elderly men congregate here to play Chinese chess with each other

every day, something they’ve been doing for decades!

2. Download a Chinese chess app from an app store to try it out!

QR code for more information on Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

ACTIVITY

1. Scan the QR code below for a virtual tour of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

2. Click on the Virtual Temple Tour to explore the temple

Buddhism had its origins in India, but this temple, bearing

the namesake of a prominent Buddhist relic, is ironically

located in Chinatown and not in an Indian enclave. Also, note

how the signage is not in an Indian language, but in Chinese,

which is evidence of multi-ethnicity in Chinatown!

FUN FACT! The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple was founded

in 2002 by Venerable Shi Fazhao and took more than two

years to build!

Scan the QR code below for more information on Chinatown

Visit the Chinatown Visitor Centre:

Celebrating the Old and the New

The Chinatown Visitor Centre is essentially Chinatown in a nutshell. The visitor centre

displays a mini-collection of Chinatown’s history since the Chinese pioneers settled here, as

well as basic tourist information. Brochures and maps are widely available in many

languages. Catch your breath in the fully air-conditioned building and get a glimpse of

Singapore’s eclectic past from the information boards in the visitor centre. You can also

purchase unique Chinatown-themed souvenirs here including notebooks, tote bags, keychains

and cute toys sold exclusively here.

The Chinatown Visitor Centre is located between Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and

Chinatown Complex.

Food break @ Chinatown Food Street

It’s break time! Here at Chinatown Food Street, a wide variety of local favourites await.

From Chinese Hokkien Mee to Indian Roti Prata to Rojak, you’ll be able to sample numerous

multi-ethnic foods from all the stores. All these multi-ethnic dishes are enjoyed by the locals

of all races in Singapore, it is often considered a melting pot of cultures. A stop at Chinatown

Food Street will definitely be a fun and cost effective experience for anyone and everyone!

FUN FACT! Did you know that Rojak means “mixture” in

Malay? Rojak is a food which reflects Singapore’s multi-

ethnicity since the different fruits and vegetables found in

Rojak are of different origins. This is similar to how

Singapore consists of people from different ethnic origins and

cultures.

Heading Home

Thank you for taking your time to enjoy Singapore’s multi-ethnic Chinatown!

We hope you had a great time.

Scan this QR code for a recap video of the trail

Bibliography

1. Trengannu Street (2014) In Wikipedia Retrieved 17 August 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trengganu_Street

2. Sago Street (2014) In Wikipedia Retrieved 17 August 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sago_Street

3. Xiang Qi (2015) In Wikipedia Retrieved 17 August 2015 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi

4. Picture of Rojak http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/10237625304_7afc099e45_b.jpg

5. Sri Mariamman Temple. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2015, from

http://www.yoursingapore.com/see-do-singapore/culture-heritage/places-of-worship/sri-

mariamman-temple.html

This Chinatown Trail was put together by the students of Methodist Girls’ School,

Class of 2018