Ann Siang Hill and Club Street

If you visit Singapore, you simply must visit Chinatown. And once you arrive in that part of the city, make sure to Ann Siang Hill and Club Street.

It owes its name to Chia Ann Siang, a wealthy Chinese saw miller and most houses in the area were built before the beginning of the World War II.

Today, most of the houses are generally restored, so you will have a chance to see traditional architecture in its best and in brightest colours. Besides being one of the earliest Chinese burial grounds in the area, the Ann Siang Hill was a site of remittance houses, where people came to send money back home. Many letter writers and calligraphers worked there for illiterate immigrants when they wanted to send letters to their families. This area also used to be a home ground of a traditional Chinese clan and several exclusive social clubs.

Today, it is a charming area with many unusual stores, like pastry and confectionery shops, retro toy stores, second hand clothes stores and many more. If you get hungry or thirsty, don’t worry – there are also plenty of bars, open-air restaurants and other places where you can eat local dishes and international cuisine from Italian, Japanese to American grills. If you want to head out on the town, this could be a great place for you since most of the bars here are open very late.

Old and new co-habitate in Ann Siang Hill so you will be able to browse through the many stores for some new or vintage items, books, souvenirs as well as the latest high tech appliances.

So come on down to Ann Siang Hill and Club Street during your next trip to Singapore.