Rajeev's World: Postcards From Chinatown....

After a great start to the day at the Botanic Gardens and the National Orchid Garden, a delectable lunch at the Singapore Flyer, the Flyer ride itself was a bit of a disappointment, a bit let down....

But I guess better things were in store for me at the next stop - Chinatown.....

Chinatown was established under the Raffles Plan of 1822 - Sir Stamford Raffles suggested that each community be given a specific area to live in. While the British were assigned the waterfront area, now a part of Downtown, Indians were sent to what is known as Little India today and the Chinese came here, to Chinatown. In a sense, this smacked of a kind of Apartheid, that was prevalent in South Africa....

Raffles appropriated all of the land southwest of the Singapore River for housing the Chinese. He insisted that the different classes and the different provinces be concentrated in their separate quarters and that these quarters, in the event of fire, be constructed of masonry with tiled roofs. The Hokkiens (Fukiens) lived along Havelock Road, Telok Ayer Street, China Street and Chulia Street, and the Teochew merchants are mostly in Circular Road, River Valley Road, Boat Quay and South Bridge Road.

But within these areas, other communities also thrived - the presence of Hindu temples and Muslim mosques within the heart of Chinatown are an evidence of this. Sri Mariamman Temple, ]Al-Abrar Mosque and Jamae Mosque are located here.

The name Chinatown was used by the British while the locals niu che shui (牛车水or "bull-cart water"). This name came about because simply because of its location, Chinatown's water supply was principally transported by animal-driven carts in the 19th century. The Malays called it Kreta Ayer, which had the same meaning.

Restored shop-houses still survive....

Each shop-house seems to have a history of its own... of immigrants from China, their struggles here and their survival....

The colours of the shop-houses are indeed enchanting...

Chinatown is decked up for the Autumn Moon Festival... The festival is essentially a harvest festival and the lunar deity, Chang'e, known as the Moon Goddess of Immortality. is worshipped in these days. Chinese mythology says that in the ancient times, there was an excellent archer called Houyi, whose wife was Chang'e. Once ten suns rose in the sky, together, bringing misery to people on Earth. Houyi used his archery skills and shot down nine suns and in their joy, people declared Houyi as their king.

But power went to Houyi's head and he become a cruel and conceited ruler. He obtained an elixir that would made him immortal and would have prolonged the people's pain. Chang'e stole the elixir and fled. When Houyi realised this, he chased Chang'e who fled to the Moon, with a rabbit as her companion. When Houyi realised Chang'e had left him forever he died in grief, but Chang'e remained on the Moon.