Author: Eileen Lim

Many artists love Ann Siang Hill. The quaintness of the yellow-painted shophouses attracted artists to pick up their palettes and paints. Probably the yellow stood out from the paintings or the little steps leading to the front of the shop, the charm is unexplainable. This nostalgic and eye-catching shophouse is definitely not a place to be missed by anyone who is looking to paint those historical shophouses of Singapore.

A little background about Ann Siang Hill

Ann Siang Hill is named after Chia Ann Siang, a wealthy Chinese saw-miller in the 1800s. This attraction is situated along a small stretch of road in Chinatown, flaunting its array of refurbished shophouses. The street was formerly a place where many locals conjugate and share their cultures into the mix of Singapore’s cultural diversity.

The architectural designs of these shophouses incorporate the use of Chinese porcelain roof tiles, French windows, as well as Malay fretwork, all of which reflect Singapore’s distinct blend of cultural heritage. Quaint and picturesque, this humble place holds a rich history behind the facade of every shophouse.

These shophouses were once owned by Chinese clans as well as associations. You can hardly discover any location as unique as Ann Siang Hill in Singapore.  Ann Siang Hill is a place where the city’s modernity and tradition converge as well. It presents itself as a pretty piece of Singapore’s heritage in the day while transforming into a place for fun and buzz during the night with its rows of shops and bars to satisfy any customer. Ann Siang Hill is a great spot to unwind after a long day, catch up with buddies, or have a family outing. If you are a tourist or visitor venturing around Singapore, Ann Siang Hill is highly recommended. 

Many local artist love to find a spot in Chinatown Singapore to sketch, draw and paint. The nostalgic shophouses and bustling street scene bring in fond memories and nothing is more fulfiling than seeing the vibrant colours of the street come alive in paintings. The streets of Chinatown are especially beautiful with bright lanterns and colourful displays of Chinese harmonic characters during the festive season like Chinese New Year and Mooncake Festival.

Veteran watercolour artist Loy Chye Chuan has painted many of the Chinatown Street scenes from Smith Street, Trengganu Street, the alley between the shophouses, morning market scene of hawker selling vegetables and other fresh produce are some of the pictures that he had captured and painted.

Here’s a brief history a Chinatown Singapore

Chinatown, Singapore is likewise known as Niu Che Shui in Mandarin is located within the Outram Park district in Singapore. Niu Che Shui directly translates to “bull-cart-water” since Chinatown’s supply of water was mainly transported by animals back in the 1800s. This term is still commonly used among the ethnic Chinese in Singapore and links back to the fact that Chinatown was once an ethnic Chinese enclave. Chinatown is the incorporation of 4 prominent sub-zones such as Kreta Ayer, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar as well as Bukit Pasoh. Many immigrants from China resided in this area due to the Raffles Town Plan in the 1800s.
Now, Chinatown has many temples and mosques for worship. These religious sites are placed beside one another such as the Sri Mariamman temple, Buddha tooth relic temple and the more well known Thian Hock Kheng temple. Visitors of these temples often pay their respect to other religions as well. This act signifies Singapore’s religious harmony and the fact that they were placed together shows that the different races and religions in Singapore had no qualms.

All across the streets of Chinatown, are rows of quaint shophouses. The architectural designs of these shophouses are a mixture of Baroque as well as Victorian style of architecture and have been restored in the style of painted ladies. It is evident from the addition of fanlights and pilasters which were Italian styled. These architectural designs are brought in by the Chinese immigrants inspired by similar architecture in Macau.