Walking Tour

Gregory Bracken

Description

With its cutting-edge skyscrapers standing cheek to cheek with traditional Chinese shophouses, picturesque mosques, and neoclassical edifices of its colonial past, Singapore is a traveler's dream, a richly stimulating blend of East and West, old and new. What's more, Singapore's compact layout makes it simply ideal for exploring on foot. Let author Gregory Bracken show you the best walking routes through the city via his vivid drawings of Singapore's myriad sights - from its iconic landmarks to hidden gems - accompanied by insightful commentary and practical information for the visitor. This revised and updated sixth edition of A Walking Tour Singapore features new illustrations and updated itineraries designed to lead you to the very heart of this complex and ever-changing city. "User-friendly, information-rich, with exquisite hand-drawn illustrations ... All that one requires to explore the streets of Singapore." - Sharon Siddique, co-founder of the Singapore Heritage Society

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 04 février 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814974004
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

2021 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
All text and illustrations by Gregory Byrne Bracken
First published in 2002 by Times Editions
This sixth edition published 2021 by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

All rights reserved
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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Name(s): Byrne Bracken, G. (Gregory), author, illustrator.
Title: Singapore : A walking tour : Sketches of the country s architectural treasures...
Journey through Singapore s urban landscape / Gregory Byrne Bracken.
Description: Sixth edition. | Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2021 |
First published in 2002 by Times Editions. | Includes index.
Identifier(s): OCN 1225856715 | eISBN 978 981 4974 00 4
Subject(s): LCSH: Walking-Singapore-Guidebooks. |
Historic sites-Singapore-Guidebooks. | Historic buildings-
Singapore-Guidebooks. | Singapore-Tours.
Classification: DDC 915.957-dc23
Printed in Singapore
Dedicated to the memory of my aunt and uncle, Marian and Charles Byrne
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
History
Travel Tips
Key to Icons
Suggested Itineraries
Map of City Centre
Walks
Chinatown (West)
Chinatown (East)
Singapore River
Fort Canning Park
The Padang
Bras Basah
Kampong Glam
Little India
Orchard Road
Further Afield
Architectural Styles
Glossary
Listings
Index
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the people who have helped make this book possible: Melvin Neo, Justin Lau and Benson Tan at Marshall Cavendish who worked so hard on it, as they do on every book we produce together. Marshall Cavendish for publishing the book (and the series) in the first place. My mother, Maura Bracken, for always being so supportive and encouraging in anything I do; it still means so much. And Robert Cortlever, the reason I first came to Singapore, you are the most wonderful partner anyone could hope for these last 30 years.
Introduction
Most visitors to Singapore are on their way to somewhere else, either long-haul from Europe to Australia (or vice versa) or travelling around Southeast Asia. As a result the city has gained something of a reputation as a pleasant layover, but not much else. Even those who do decide to stay on in the city for a little longer tend not to stay more than two or three days. This is a mistake. There is so much to see and do in this remarkable city-state that a week can simply fly by. It s pleasant, English-speaking, safe and friendly; it also offers some of Asia s best shopping, as well as superb dining, and all at price ranges and in a bewildering range of regional styles that would make the average tourist s head spin - as well as mouth water.
Singapore is of course a tropical city; in fact it s equatorial, being about 140 kilometres from the equator. This means that walking could normally be hot and unpleasant. But thanks to the five-foot-ways (covered arcades) that still line most of the streets in the city s historic districts, as well as the beautiful trees that have been planted generously throughout the city and its suburbs, Singapore is a well-shaded and pleasant urban environment to walk in. The city centre is also relatively compact, with a number of colonial-era gems cheek by jowl with modern architectural marvels by some of the world s foremost contemporary architects.
Each chapter in this book suggests a route to follow, each picking up where the one before it left off. These walks tend to cover one particular area of the city, for example Little India or Orchard Road, the exception being Chinatown, which is quite large and has been split into two walks. Apart from the usual temples, mosques, churches and museums, there s also information on other places of interest, like buildings that happen to have particularly unusual restaurants, bars or galleries, especially if they have good views of the city.

Trishaw
Be careful when following some of the routes as not all the city s roads have continuous pavement. Stop often; make sure you don t overdo it in the humid weather. Remember to drink plenty of liquids - you will find plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants en route. One thing to remember is that if you want to go into certain places, like mosques, temples, churches, etc., you should be appropriately dressed: you won t be allowed in if you re wearing shorts or t-shirts.
The city is easy to get around. The public transport network is excellent, with the added advantage that buses and the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) are cheap and efficient. Taxis, too, are inexpensive and make for a handy way of getting from place to place, especially if you decide to wander off the more usual tourist trails.
History
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles planned the original town of Singapore along racial lines, with specific areas zoned for the different races. This plan is still in evidence today in areas like Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam (for the Malays). Chinatown rapidly became the largest area due to its rapidly expanding immigrant population, most of whom came from China s southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong.
Singapore s growth exploded after the Suez Canal opened in 1869 - the Chinese population trebled between 1860 and 1900. By this time Chinatown was becoming increasingly overpopulated, run-down and squalid, and this pattern was to continue unabated until the newly independent government of the 1960s instigated massive housing development programmes, demolishing huge tracts of the city centre.
The demolition of Raffles Institution (Singapore s top boys school) in the 1980s marked a turning point in the preservation of Singapore s older and more significantly historic buildings. Old buildings are now refurbished and reused instead of being left to fall into ruin or be torn down, and this has not only retained much of Singapore s architectural charm, but has also created something of an urban renaissance for the city.
Travel Tips
Singapore is located one degree north of the equator and has an equatorial monsoon climate characterised by uniformly high humidity and high temperatures (22-32 C). Rain falls throughout the year, but especially during the northeast monsoon period, which lasts from November to February. Heavy rainfall is also expected during frequent thunderstorms, which may occur at any time during the year.
You should dress lightly and comfortably for a tropical city like Singapore, but remember that modest and conservative attire is best for visits to places of worship. Shoes should be removed before entering certain buildings such as mosques.
Opening hours are given for all places that are open to the public and, where necessary, prices are given as well. Temples, mosques and churches are free unless specifically indicated otherwise. Contact details for all places listed can be found in a Listings section at the back of the book.
Singaporeans are a cosmopolitan lot and generally comfortable when dealing with foreigners, but there are some things that you should bear in mind. Asians tend to appreciate a neat appearance, considering it a mark of respect for the people one meets, not simply a question of hygiene. While Indian and Chinese social behaviour differs little from what a Westerner might be used to, Muslims have some special etiquette that might be useful to know in order not to offend anyone inadvertently. If you are being introduced to a Muslim lady, do not offer to shake her by the hand, unless she does so first; a smile or nod will be sufficient. When shaking hands with Muslims, you may notice that they then move their hand to their heart afterwards - a charming gesture to show that their feelings are heartfelt.
Key to Icons

Must See

National Monument

Good View

See At Night

Drinking

Eating

Shopping
Suggested Itineraries
History
Singapore River
Fort Canning Park
The Padang
Culture
Fort Canning Park
The Padang
Shopping
Orchard Road
Markets
Chinatown (West)
Chinatown (East)
Kampong Glam
Little India
Colonial City
Fort Canning Park
The Padang
Bras Basah
For Children
Further Afield
Map of City Centre

The city of Singapore was not built up gradually, the way most cities are, by a natural deposit of commerce on the banks of some river or at a traditional confluence of trade routes. It was simply invented one morning early in the 19th century by a man looking at a map. - J.G. Farrell, The Singapore Grip
Chinatown (West)
Singapore s Chinatown covers a large area and is divided into four smaller sub-zones: Bukit Pasoh, Kreta