Singapore often gets mistaken as a part of China because even though we’re clearly in Southeast Asia (China is about 4 hours away by plane at least), 75% of our population is of Chinese descent. But what many visitors don’t realise is that being Chinese in Singapore is quite a different experience from being mainland Chinese, or Chinese in any other part of the world. Multicultural Singapore has influences from all around the region that have in turn made the Singaporean Chinese identity quite unique.
The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has a permanent exhibition known as SINGAPO人 which is a great way for locals and tourists to learn more about how exactly these various influences have shaped the Singaporean Chinese traditions, practices and thinking.
I personally enjoyed my visit and think it’s a bit of a pity that not many people know about this place, though I have to say not being swarmed by crowds was quite a nice experience. Check out my quick tl;dr summary of the exhibition in the box below and read my detailed thoughts and trip planning advice to plan your own trip.
Looking for other free museums, galleries and cultural spots in Singapore? Check out my recommendations and series of reviews for more.
Want someone to guide you around Singapore and plan your trip for you? I’m a licensed Singaporean tourist guide who conducts private walking tours and can customise an itinerary for you. See my guiding rates and customer reviews – drop me a note to learn more.
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre: SINGAPO人 – in a nutshell
What is this: The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has a free exhibition called SINGAPO人 (say ‘Singapore-ren’) that explores what it means to be Singaporean Chinese and how Singapore’s local Chinese heritage and practices have been shaped by the mix of cultures.
Why it’s worth visiting:
- The video projection show on Singaporean Chinese food using a round table and hawker stalls is a fun way to learn about local food culture
- RFID band to vote on polls and answer quiz questions throughout the exhibition is interactive and a favourite with kids, and leads to a printed personality test for each visitor at the end
- Exhibit on local slang is a fun look at Singlish and the local language quirks
Who should visit: Tourists who want to dig deeper into the Singaporean way of life. Locals curious about how Singaporean Chinese have evolved our traditions. Those with children or get bored by traditional museums and galleries will appreciate the fun interactivity of the exhibits.
Where is this located: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre 新加坡华族⽂化中⼼ – 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906. [Google maps] Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW15) or Shenton Way (TE19). Walking distance to Chinatown.
When to visit: SCCC is open 10am-8pm daily (opens at 2pm on Monday).
How to visit: Check out the SCCC website for more information.
About the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC)
The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre promotes local Chinese culture through the arts, performances and cultural activities.
SCCC is located in a nice modern looking building on the very edge of our Central Business District along Shenton Way. Important note: Don’t mix up the SCCC with other Chinese cultural centres in Singapore – there are quite a few similarly named buildings and you don’t want to end up in the wrong place.
- China Cultural Centre (CCC) – this is located on Queen Street in Bras Basah and has a specific mainland China focus in its exhibitions.
- Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) – located along Hill Street near Fort Canning, the traditional Chinese-style architecture is eye-catching and it has its own exhibition in its Chinese Business Culture Hub (SCBCH) on level 4 of the building.
- Chinese Heritage Centre (CHC) – the historical part of Nanyang Technological University located in the far flung western end of Singapore has its own exhibition as the first Chinese university outside of China.
SINGAPO人 exhibition: What to expect
The SINGAPO人 permanent exhibition is located on the 2nd floor of the building – you can take the escalator from the ground floor to the entrance.
Start by picking up an RFID wristband at the entrance and registering your name in the machine. This wristband will be used to activate the various polls and interactive devices in the gallery.
There are 5 main sections in this gallery that you can wander through. It starts out with an explanation of how the Chinese people ended up in Singapore in the first place and where they came from, before delving into the traditions that they brought with them and how they diverged from the original.
Along the way there are some quiz stations where you use your wristband to answer questions pertaining to facts about Singaporean Chinese culture, as well as poll stations where you vote for your favourites and see how many other visitors agreed or disagreed with you.
One of the highlights here is a room with a short video projection show that plays in English and Chinese at intervals. It project moving visuals of local Chinese favourite foods onto a large empty white round table in the room, a very cool canvas especially when you’re sitting at the table! Definitely take some time to watch this little show.
I also enjoyed the language section where they showcased Singlish lingo and the origins and influences of different words. Explaining Singlish is always a hoot, but some of this info was new to me as well. Many Chinese words we use in Singapore actually are incomprehensible to China-Chinese folk as the words were evolved from English, Malay, Tamil and other dialects here in Singapore.
And right at the end where there is a feature on local brands (so you know what authentically ‘made in Singapore’ souvenirs to bring home with you), you can scan your RFID bracelet and it will assign you a personality type based on your choices made, along with some recommendations on things to do to learn more about the Singaporean Chinese culture.
I walked through the exhibition in about 45 minutes, so I think giving yourself about an hour in total should be sufficient time to explore the exhibits and watch some of the videos and shows on site.
Getting to Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
The SCCC is located in Shenton Way at the edge of the Central Business District, but it is also kinda oddly out of the way from the main tourist stretch. SCCC is a short walk away from 2 MRT stations: Tanjong Pagar (EW15) on the green East-West Line, and Shenton Way (TE19) on the Brown Thomson-East Coast Line.
Singaporean drivers: There is parking at SCCC building itself, but you can also head to the nearby open air carpark behind Marina Bay Fire Station for cheaper parking.
What’s nearby
Recommendation for tourists
I would consider adding SCCC to an itinerary exploring the Chinatown area. SCCC is about 10-15 mins walk away from the Singapore City Gallery in the URA Building located opposite Maxwell Hawker Centre, and I think this exhibition will give some added context to the sights around the Chinatown heritage district.
You could visit this exhibition first in the morning at 10am when the gallery opens, then hop over to Chinatown for lunch and explore the neighbourhood after that. Alternatively, start with a Chinatown wander and when it gets too hot after lunch, take refuge in the exhibition.
For Cruise tourists at Marina South Pier – SCCC is a 5 min drive away, so it’s something you can consider if you don’t have a lot of time. It’s about 2km/30mins walk away but I wouldn’t recommend it because there’s not a lot of shelter around.
Rooftop Garden views
SCCC has performing art venues and offices that house arts group in its premises, but for the general public, you can take the lift up to their rooftop garden on its top floor 11 storeys up. You’ll enjoy some interesting views of the Marina Bay South cruise terminal and the Keppel port area with all its cranes and containers.
Offbeat detour to see some quirky shrines
There’s not that much else to see in the immediate vicinity of the SCCC building, but if you’re curious, you can pop into two small places of worship that are a short walk away along Palmer Road. These two shrines aren’t usually featured in must-visit lists nor do they cater to tourists – so be discreet and respectful – but they are an option to visit if you’re up for something bit more offbeat.
The Hock Teck See or Foo Tet Soo Khek Temple is one of the oldest Chinese temples in Singapore. More specifically, this is a Chinese Hakka temple, Hakkas being one of the major subgroups of Chinese that came to Singapore back in the day. It’s a small shrine but has some beautiful decoration with porcelain pieces and a unique rooftop design made our of cockle shells, a hint to the temple’s location right by the former coastline.
Walk around the corner to see the Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque. The prayer area itself is quite small on the ground level, but what’s unusual is up the stairs in the elevated tower that’s at eye level with the Keppel flyover. The Maqam Habib Noh or Habib Noh Mausoleum, a Muslim saint who had a wish to be buried on Mt Palmer, a hill that once stood here. There’s not a lot in terms of explanation panels or exhibits, but you can see what a working mosque and how the local Muslims pay their respects – make sure you dress modestly when entering.
Looking for other free museums and galleries to visit in Singapore? Check out my detailed guide (coming soon) or see my Singapore guide for more.
