Wednesday, February 03, 2010

I love museums (part one)

I'm not a shopaholic so when I visit a city I prefer to roam in museums. Luckily I was able to visit a few of them in Singapore.

The Chinatown Heritage Center is located within a section of beautifully restored shop houses in Chinatown. It has on display a wealth of memories and untold stories from the past. It chronicles the lives of the early Chinese migrants who left their homeland to settle in Singapore.

Chinatown Heritage Center Museum

Street in Chinatown

A tidbit about migrants


This board has most of the surnames of the Chinese migrants. You can flip each of them to read where the name originated.

Origin of Surnames Board - Chinatown Heritage Center


This counter displays samples of gold jewelry crafted by expert goldsmiths.

Jewelry carved by ancient goldsmiths


Back then, the migration from China to Singapore was a perilous journey. Many of them had to endure cramped quarters in congested ships filled with elderly, the sick and small children. So the ones who made it were eternally grateful and offered prayers at temples.

Prayer offerings at the temple at the Chinatown Heritage Center


This interactive museum is located within walking distance of the Chinatown MRT station. I definitely recommend it. It is worth a visit to better understand the historical background of the Chinese migrants and a visual glimpse into Singapore's past.

Chinatown MRT station



Location
48 Pagoda Street Singapore 059207
Guest Helpline: 6-338-6877 (TOURS)
Email: chc@ducktours.com.sg

Admission Charges
Adults: $10
Child (3-12 years): $6

Opening Hours
9am to 8pm daily (last admission at 7pm)

Website
Chinatown Heritage Centre

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