Steal a few hours for yourself and enjoy a charming stroll through Singapore’s rich heritage and culture
WORDS SANJAY SURANA
1 CHIJMES
Start your exploration at CHIJMES, a historic complex rejuvenated as a gustatory haven situated between the arts and financial districts. The former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Middle Education School (hence the acronym) has beautiful white neoclassical buildings, manicured lawns, courtyards, marble waterfalls, a Gothic chapel, and a former orphanage – the unassuming Gate of Hope on Victoria Street is where unwanted babies were left. Wander the colonnaded passages to visit bars, restaurants and cafes; among the newest is Analogue, a plant-based resto-bar with a sensuous curved counter and a menu of sugar-free, non-alcoholic drinks.
chijmes.com.sg
2 ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM
After some refreshment, take a 15-minute walk down North Bridge Road. You’ll pass the Supreme Court and Parliament of Singapore on your way to the Asian Civilisations Museum, which prides itself on its pan-Asia focus. The scope of exhibits here is indeed broad, anything from Tang Dynasty-era ceramics recovered from a sunken Arab ship to a gallery tracing Asia’s religions. The museum’s debut exhibition on contemporary Singapore fashion, #SGFASHIONNOW, runs until December 19.
nhb.gov.sg/acm
3 A WALK OF ART
Continue the art theme outdoors with a casual 15-minute stroll to enjoy whimsical and enlightening bronze sculptures. Outside the Asian Civilisations Museum, From Chettiars to Financiers recreates the early days of the Lion City’s financial trade. Cross over the pedestrian-only Cavenagh Bridge, the city’s oldest original bridge still standing, to see River Merchants and A Great Emporium (memorials to Singapore’s early trading days) and the lively First Generation (boys jumping into the Singapore River). Don’t miss Bird, a rotund dove shaped by Colombian artist Fernando Botero.
4 THE CLAN HOTEL
Nearby is The Clan Hotel, a new glass-clad tower with 324 rooms that soars above the low-slung, red-tile roof buildings nearby. Pop into Qin Restaurant and Bar, which offers charming views of the traditional shophouses lining Telok Ayer Street through floor-to-ceiling windows. Try the speciality, Siphon Mushroom Tea. Its complex flavours are created using a siphon coffee maker to extract flavour from mushroom tea bags, with the resulting brew poured over cha
