Chinese Culture in Singapore

The ancestors of many Singaporean China were originally from Fujian Province in China. Most of the first Chinese to arrive in Singapore, Penang and Malacca married local Malay women and this union gave rise to a community of “Straits Chinese.” Peranakan (Malay for born here) are Chinese who intermarried with Malays and adopted Malay styles of dress and cuisine Students will explore the history of Chinatown in Singapore, life of the Chinese in Singapore, Chinese immigrants in Singapore, and Chinese custom among Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Changi International Airport.

Meet your local guide at the arrival hall of the airport.

Welcome dinner.

Day 2

Your Chinese cultural tour of Singapore begins with a visit to Chinatown. Witness the rows of hawker stalls, shophouse restaurants and kiosks are packed with contemporary jewelry, souvenirs, and purveyors of traditional Chinese medicine.

Chinatown Heritage Centre. Trace the footsteps of Singapore's early pioneers and discover the personal stories of people who made Chinatown their home.

Thian Hock Keng Temple, Singapore's oldest Buddhist-Taoist Chinese temple. Students will take on a Bumboat River Cruise along the Singapore River. The Singapore River is like a witness to its history.

Day 3

A Singapore cooking class offers students an opportunity to experience the diverse multiculturalism of Singaporean food. The group will meet the local chef at a local market to purchase the Asian ingredients that students will be using in the cooking class. Students will then return to the cooking kitchen studio and begin to cook their chosen Singaporean menu with the expertise and guidance from the chef.

Singapore Chinese Culture Centre. The center is a civic and community institution, spearheaded by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clans Association, for the promotion of traditional and contemporary Chinese arts and culture locally. The SCCC houses an array of civic and cultural facilities. Included in the visit is a in-house guided tour.

Day 4

Board the coach in the morning to Sentosa Island and enjoy a fun-filled day at Universal Studios Singapore.

Before heading back to the hotel, the group could enjoy dinner at local restaurant within Sentosa Island.

Day 5

Chinese Heritage Centre, which is an autonomous research institute of Nanyang Technological University. It is the first and only university institute in the world that specializes in the study of Chinese overseas. It brings you, two engaging exhibitions that evolve around the ethnic Chinese outside of China. (Or a visit to the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall)

Haw Par Villa Heritage Trail. Embark on an amazing journey through Haw Par Villa’s remarkable landscape filled to the brim with cultural sculptures of all shapes and sizes. Students will also learn about the Park’s creator, Aw Boon Haw, and how he used art to spread valuable cultural and moral lessons to younger generations.

Day 6

In the morning, students will be participating in a Chinese Calligraphy workshop. Learn Chinese calligraphy, one of the highest forms of Chinese art. With a master calligrapher as your guide, practice brush techniques that depict the rhythm, lines and abstract beauty embodied in this ancient Chinese art form of expression.

Yixing Xuan Teahouse. Discover the Chinese culture, art, and history of tea with this fascinating tea appreciation workshop. Learn about how tea was discovered and the tea making process during the Tang and Song Dynasty and the drink’s health benefits and importance in Chinese culture, as you are taught how to properly brew and prepare it.

In the evening, students will visit the Night Safari Zoo. The world's first safari park for nocturnal animals. The wildlife park is home to more than 2500 animals from over 130 species.

Day 7

In the morning we head to Singapore`s favourite entertainment island, Sentosa Island. Will start the tour with a scenic Cable Car Ride where we see the beautiful landscape of the city. Our attraction is to the Images of Singapore, where we’ll embark on a journey to experience the colourful culture and vibrant heritage of Singapore, re-told through life size figures, animatronics and special effects.

Our next stop is to the wax museum of Madame Tussauds. Following this is some adventure with the Skyline Luge and experience the first luge ride in Southeast Asia via four different tracks. We also visit Fort Siloso, Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort that stands as a witness to one of the most tempestuous chapters in local history that of WW11.

Our final stop is to the S.E.A Aquarium, the world’s largest aquarium. Explore more than 800 species of marine animals such as majestic manta rays and over 200 sharks through the world’s largest window to the ocean.

Later in the afternoon we depart for China Town night markets where we test our bargaining skills before enjoying our farewell dinner at the Yum Cha restaurant.