Singapore

In a city obsessed with food, Singapore’s Chinatown is a teeming, steaming standout, one of the best Chinatowns in the world. Much of Singapore’s population is of Chinese origin, but that does not take away from the fact that it has a distinct Chinatown neighborhood, which stands out with its traditional shophouses and markets on and around Smith Street. Despite its distinctive Chinese look, this neighborhood is also famous for its Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, and the time-capsule National University of Singapore (NUS) Baba House. Conservation shophouses are where visitors will find decades-old businesses, which stand shoulder to shoulder with even older places of worship. Medical halls dispense traditional herbal cures and families flock to restaurants for dim sum at the weekends. Exotic sights and smells still dominate. There are rare Asian ingredients and frogs to be skinned in the fresh produce market. At certain times of the year, the streets are filled with the pungent aroma of durians.

Although Singapore’s main ethnic population is Chinese, Singapore’s Chinatown has a rich cultural history and is among the most prolific in the world. Indeed, significant portions have been deemed national heritage sites, a sign of their importance to Singaporean identity. Delve deeply into its fascinating history at the Chinatown Heritage Centre before heading to foodie haven Chinatown Complex, where you’ll find Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, a hawker stall so good it’s earned a Michelin star. Proprietor Mr. Chan Hon Meng serves up bronzed soy-sauce chicken and crispy sweet char siew pork to lines of barbecue lovers that start forming well before the shutter rolls up.