Chinatown Street Art, Singapore

#artshunting in Chinatown Chinatown is the distinctly Chinese cultural enclave of Singapore. Colourful historical shophouses and narrow network of streets bear remnants of the rich cultural heritage of the once migrant Chinese community who used to labour and live here. Chinatown is incidentally also home to a rich diversity of life-sized heritage wall street art. Wall mural or street art / graffiti is a powerful means of self expression and such art form is often an excellent means to engage with and reach out to the younger generation as well as garner interest of our rich history. Hence this area is often well received and popular for young and tourists alike to pop by for fabulous instagram shoots. Highlights of some of the noteworthy street art includes the following : 1. Mid-Autumn Festival Mural - Alley connecting Pagoda Street and Temple Street - Mural by Yip Yew Chong depicting varous lanterns and mooncake / snacks eating during the Mid-Autumn Festival 2. Cantonese Opera - Junction of Temple Street and South Bridge Road - Performers in elaborate costumes and painted faces also by Yip Yew Chong 3. Letter Writer - Another Yip Yew Chong mural along Smith Street. Painted on the wall of New Bridge Centre. - Letter writers played an important role in the past when the population was illiterate. They enabled those who had come to Singapore to work to maintain links with relatives back home. 4. Banda Street Murals - Next to Chinatown Complex - It depicts the iconic samsui women who carried out construction jobs and hard labour and helped build Singapore. 5. Mosque Street - Located on the side of Porcelain Hotel @ 48 Mosque Street - Depicts a huge full walled blue-and-white mural that resembles the patterns found on a piece of fine porcelain tableware 6. Mamak Shop - Located at Mohamed Ali Lane - Mural by Yip Yew Chong at Mohamed Ali Lane depicting a traditional convenience shop There are many other murals to explore like those at Keong Saik Road, Chinatown Street Smith Street and even Singapore Food Street. Chinatown Singapore is easily accessible via Chinatown and Outram MRT Stations. The various wall murals are nestled in between the streets/lanes in between the two stations and you can enjoy a visual treat just by getting off one station and walk through the interwinding narrow streets until you reach the other station. Along the way, you can also : - Stop by Chinatown Food Street for some local fare like Hainanese chicken rice and satay - Grab some local keepsakes from the various souvenir shops - Worship at the Sri Mariamman Temple and the ornate Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - Visit Chinatown Heritage Centre for a history of the area - Marvel at the rustic ethnic architecture found only in Chinatown Take a cultural walk and have fun exploring ! #chineseheritage #chinatown #visitsingapore