Insiders’ guide to taming the Lion City, Singapore
City-state locals reveal where they take visiting friends – within the Civic District and behind the colourful shophouses of Tanjong Pagar
The city state of Singapore packs a lot into its 735 sq km.
To quickly get under the skin of this multicultural city, a trio of locals-about-town suggest concentrating on the historic Civic District and the Tanjong Pagar conservation area. We tag along with Loh Lik Peng, the hotelier and restaurateur behind the Unlisted Collection; Carolyn Kan, of artisanal jewellery brand Carrie K; and Sean Lee, CEO of the Hu’u collection of restaurants, villas and lifestyle concept businesses in Bali, Indonesia.
Where it all began
“There is no better place [than the Civic District] to get a snapshot of how Singapore morphed from a fishing village into a modern city,” says Loh.
The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is a good place to begin, recommends Loh, who is also a board member of the National Heritage Board, Singapore’s custodian of museums. “ACM is the largest repository of antiquities in Southeast Asia from neighbouring countries,” he says. “The collection of over 2,000 artefacts and [artworks] explains Singapore’s position in the region – where ancient trade routes crossed – and how Singapore grew to be a major trade hub.”
Kan is a fan of the National Gallery. Comprising the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings, it houses one of the world’s largest public collections of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks, but is a work of art in itself, Kan believes.
