| Step into the Chinatown Heritage Centre (CHC) and be transported back to a time of coolies, samsui women and richshaw pullers. As you walk through the Centre, piece together what life was like for these brave young migrants for each had a different story to tell.
Located within three beautifully restored shophouses along Pagoda Street, the CHC houses a wealth of memories and untold stories from the past. Discover the secrets and chronicles of migrants who made the perilous journey from their homeland to Singapore.
 Housed in three painstakingly restored shophouses at Pagoda Street, the CHC will showcase the rich heritage of Chinatown - the lifestyles, traditions and rituals of the people who lived and worked there.
The idea of setting up the CHC was first mooted during the conceptualisation of the Chinatown Experience Guide Plan (EGP). Launched in 1998, the EGP mapped out the strategy for re-vitalising the ethnic district. Chinatown Heritage Centre opened in July 2002.
This Centre traces the history of Chinatown from the time Raffles drew up his plans for Singapore and recalls the experiences of Chinese migrants who left China in the 19th and 20th centuries in hope for a better life here, not only their trials and tribulations, but also their hopes and joys. Many came intending to return to China after earning some money. In the end, most stayed and made this foreign land their home. Together with the other ethnic groups, these Chinese migrants created modern Singapore. It is important us to know how we got here because the past is often a guide to the future.
What we are trying to do is to preserve and revive some of the old to complement the new so that modern Chinatown has a contemporary character which connects it to its history. The Chinatown Heritage Centre will add life to Chinatown and interest to all.
 Please call to inquire about tour there.
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January 2010.