A night well spent exploring Chinatown in Singapore

I have to admit, I'm the happiest whenever I travel to places where I can see new things, learn about unique cultures, and experience a different lifestyle. Reading other people's travel blogs gives me the encouragement to experience it for myself. And among all of the articles that I read about Singapore will always mention Chinatown; where food, shopping, and overall experience is a complete package.

That I want to share in this blog through my own view... Chinatown at night.

The lanterns hanging above this alley gave me the feeling that I am in a traditional Chinese marketplace. The bright warm lights also make this place a really exciting venue for shopping and dining.

If you happen to visit Chinatown during the day, one thing you will notice is the constant movement of tourists and locals along the alleys. Tourists are busy going in and coming out of the shops looking for interesting things to buy. While locals and ex-pats are passing-by going to their workplace. Chinatown's popularity made it to the topmost visited places here in Singapore.

I have always wonder what it feels like to wander around Chinatown at night time.

I took the train going to the city center and alighted at the Chinatown station; it was nine in the evening when I reached the place. As soon as I got out of the station, it was obvious that there are lesser people and it seems a little peaceful. Although it was late, the shops are still open and the restaurants are still very inviting.

Exploring this place at night couldn’t be any better; the narrow alleys have a lesser crowd which makes it easier to take photos. This spot usually has tourists standing-by and walking through for their last-minute shopping.

With regards to shopping, Chinatown offers a variety of interesting items that you can buy. If you are looking for unique things that you want to bring back home, this place is the perfect destination for you.

Right after I came out of the MRT station, I immediately stumble upon these souvenir bags & shirts. Along the way, I also found other items like stone carvings, gold figurines, brass metal works & colorful home items.

The colorful bag designs immediately capture my attention; this is probably one of the best sellers. I see this in almost every shop and they have so many designs to choose from.

I also notice one of the shops that sell these hand-carved stone figurines that look interesting. Aside from the figurines, the shop also sells other traditional items like teacup and chopsticks.

Another interesting shop that caught my attention is this shop that sells glistening gold figurines. I can see the intricacy of the details are refined and are of good quality.

While walking along the alley, I passed by one of the shops that sell traditional brass metalwork. The shop itself is just beside the alley and looks like it was set-up temporarily to sell these metal figures.

If you are into unique colorful stuff, you should go to this place. This shop sells colorful chimes, rugs, carpets, and fashionable clothes. It looks like a candy shop where all of the treats are displayed on every corner of the store.

My stroll along the shopping alley led me to the food area, which is my favorite part of my journey. The mood changes from the crowded shops to a more discrete part of Chinatown, it’s probably because dinner time was over. This part of the street is mostly dedicated to food stalls and restaurants.

Many of you might recognize this fruit, Durian. It is said to be the “King of Fruits” mainly because it tastes like heaven but smells like hell. I have tried eating this fruit a few times, but I guess my liking for this fruit will need a few more tasting before it syncs into my palate. Don’t get me wrong, although this might not be my favorite fruit, the majority of the people here like it. Durian is so famous in this country that it was correlated to the Esplanade, one of Singapore’s landmarks.

After passing by the Durian stall, I continued walking along the short alley until I reached the food street. I consider this part of Chinatown as the food heaven, almost all sort of local food is served here.

The selection of food varies from the famous Chicken Rice and other delights like roasted duck, grilled meat, noodle dishes, and seafood.

If you are thinking of a refreshing drink after a long walk, I recommend you to try the sugarcane juice with a mix of freshly squeezed lemon.

When I reached this part of Chinatown, I was impressed with the setting of this food street. The alley was transformed into a semi-indoor eating place. It is an eclectic fusion of traditional and modern architecture. The buildings along the alley are the traditional shophouses while the modern pillars act as support for the glass roof for the dining area below it.

To complete my night exploration of Chinatown I went off to visit the nearest temple in this area, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

The design of the roof of this temple is really impressive that if you will count the numbers of the wood frame from the center it will be the same as the other side.

The best time to visit the temple is during the Evening Closing Ceremony Drum, Bell, and Board Ritual which happens at 6:15pm. During the ceremony, the monks are the only ones who are allowed to enter the inner chamber. However, you can still observe the ceremony at the viewing gallery.

That sums up my night exploration of Chinatown. I must say that this place has so much to offer. The time I have may not be enough to go through every corner of this place. However, the feeling of excitement that I got while walking along the alley already gave me the assurance that this place is legit. The variety of interesting things that I can buy and the selection of food that I can eat is more than enough to make me revisit this place anytime soon.

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