Tour Description:

Discover the legacy of Singapore’s Peranakan people on this half-day suburban tour. Visit a museum and also connect with the living members of this cultural group. A late morning visit to a traditional sweet dumpling shop allows you to literally get a taste of Peranakan heritage.

Highlights:

• Visit a museum of Peranakan culture
• Explore the suburbs of Joo Kiat and Katong
• Admire the Peranakan architecture of pre-war shophouses
• Sample Nyonya delicacies

Details:

This journey explores the colourful history, lifestyle and unique characters of the Peranakan. The Peranakan are Straits-born Chinese, and their culture is a blend of Chinese and Malay influences.

We begin the tour with a visit to a museum housing historical and ethnological artefacts of Peranakan culture. One of the most comprehensive collections anywhere in the world, these exhibits include both material legacy (silver, porcelain, jewellery) as well as documentations of intangible heritage (language, food, religious rituals). The museum also offers visitor experiences ranging from interactive exhibits to food sampling which provides further insight into the captivating culture of the Peranakans.

Afterwards, wander through the bustling enclaves of Katong and Joo Chiat which showcase the rich, baroque style of Peranakan architecture. Admire rows of colourful traditional shophouses that date back to the 1920s and 1930s. Katong is the place to go when shopping for colourful nonya kebayas (the traditional dress of Peranakan women), exquisite beaded slippers and handbags, and of course home-made Peranakan cuisine. Stop at Kim Choo Kueh Chang, an eatery founded over 40 years ago, where patrons come from far and wide to sample their famous sweet rice dumplings. Enjoy a sampling of nonya cuisine, a marriage of both traditional Chinese and Malay cooking styles.

Duration: From 9:00 -13:00 hours