Chinatown - Peoples' Park Area

Sometimes, you have to be a tourist in your own country and go on a walkabout. Three kakis (friends) did just that today in the Chinatown area.

Chinatown can be divided into four main districts - Kreta Ayer, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh - each with its own distinctive flavour. The heart of activity is in the Trengganu/Smith Streets area.

Chinatown’s local name - Niu Che Shui (Bullock Cart Water) arose from the fact each household at that time had to collect fresh water from the wells in Ann Siang Hill and Spring Street, using bullock-drawn carts.

We started out at the Maxwell Road Food Center where we were suppose to have lunch but the queues were long at the stalls we wanted to eat at.

So it we made a decision to walk over to Chew Kee on Upper Cross Street for soy sauce chicken and noodles for lunch and then on to People's Park to shop.

The route we took, took us along South Bridge Road towards Upper Cross Street and we passed a number of very interesting shops along the way especially in the traditional Chinese medicine area.