Joo Chiat & The Peranakans:
Pastel Shophouses
& Rainbow Tiles
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Jane’s popular Joo Chiat & The Peranakans tour has 2 options to choose from:
Included is your knowledgeable personal guide and small audio listening sets for social distancing.
Nothing beats getting up close and personal with the sights and flavours of Joo Chiat, one of Singapore’s most eclectic and interesting neighbourhoods. Come along on Jane’s Joo Chiat & The Peranakans tour to discover the many treasures that capture the colourful and magical charm of the area.
The Peranakans are undoubtedly one of Southeast Asia’s most colourful and distinctive communities. In Singapore, the Peranakan culture is a mix of rich traditions resulting from the marriage of early Chinese traders and indigenous women from Malay Archipelago. Their love of colour, patterns, and sheer drama is evident in their material culture, like colourful beading and clothing styles, and in their unique belief systems.
Set on former coconut plantations where attap-roofed kampongs once thrived nearby seaside bungalows and mansions for the wealthy, Joo Chiat is an exciting mélange of culture, flavours, and architecture. Join Jane’s Joo Chiat & The Peranakans tour to explore the Peranakan legacy and meet some of the local characters. Learn about the lovely pre-war architecture demonstrated in row upon row of colourful two-storey shop and terrace houses adorned with ornate façades, intricate motifs, and ceramic tiles.
Morning Walk: Meet your guide at Joo Chiat Complex taxi stand, 2 Joo Chiat Road.
Evening walk: Meet your guide outside Giant Express, 291 Joo Chiat Road, 427543
We decided to explore the Perankan houses in the Joo Chiat area and learn more about the arrival of these (originally0 Chinese traders in Singapore. Our wonderfully knowledgable guide Bibi gave us a very interesting insight into their traditions, history and origins in building life and business in Singapore….One cannot imagine that mainly plantations that existed across so much of Singapore in the early days- what a remarkable transformation to today’s bustling, busy city state in just 55 years! Bibi was a terrific guide and we highly recommend the tour.
I have lived in Singapore for over 20 years and am well read about its history, but still find Jane’s Tour Guides provide me with insights and information of which I wasn’t previously aware. The research that is behind many of the activities is clearly immense and I particularly love hearing stories about the people who lived in the places we are seeing.
I am very impressed with these tours and I have done 6 so far. When I book a stay in Singapore, I check Jane’s calendar for my next experience. The groups are small, the guides are well informed and the itineraries are well thought out. I have discovered an interest in places that I have previously walked past . I look forward to learning more about the varied parts of Singapore.
The name Orchard Road conjures up visions of gleaming high rise apartment buildings, glitzy shopping malls, and office towers filled with glamorous hotels and high-end restaurants. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that there’s a rich history lurking among the monuments to shopping and consumption, with nearby gems like Emerald Hill providing oases of tranquillity.
‘Joo Chiat Green Windows’ – Photo: Angie & James Do Stuff
‘Joo Chiat Pink Doors’ – Photo: Angie & James Do Stuff
‘Joo Chiat Blue Shophouse’ – Photo Angie & James Do Stuff
‘Joo Chiat Visiting Shophouses’ – Photo: Heidi Sarna
‘Joo Chiat Green Shophouse’ – Photo: Heidi Sarna
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UEN: 201940714G