UNESCO Hawker Culture: Chinatown Food Walk & Heritage Stories
Explore hidden backstreets of Chinatown that stretch far beyond its picture perfect shophouses, as you nibble your way through one of Singapore’s most photographed neighbourhoods.
Highlights:
- Visit famous murals and the hidden alleyways of Chinatown
- 9-10 handpicked must-try local dishes at famous hawker centres
- Learn about the historical and architectural significance of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
- Rest stop at Nanyang Old Coffee, one of Singapore's most beloved traditional kopitiams
Singapore’s hawker culture is known for its concept of affordable, cross-cultural, freshly cooked meals sold in community dining rooms, and was listed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. This walk gives you a taste of the local Singaporean experience with a series of handpicked hawker dishes that reflect the vibrant, unique flavours that set Singapore’s blended cultural landscape apart from the rest of Asia.
Chinatown is more than just a colourful neighbourhood with beautiful roadside stores. Learn about the history of the first settlers who moved to Chinatown, from the Cantonese merchants on Pagoda Street to the death houses on Sago Lane. You’ll uncover one of the communities that built Singapore’s food culture from scratch and got it listed as a UNESCO treasure today.
Expect to navigate tight backstreets filled with hidden stories: from the alleys painted by Yip Yew Chong to the Ann Siang Hill conservation area, and past subtle yet iconic filming locations from Crazy Rich Asians. You'll stop inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, one of the most significant Mahayana Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, and feast on 9-10 of your guide's handpicked dishes at Maxwell Food Centre and beyond, from chicken rice to Fuzhou oyster pancakes. Join us on an empty stomach and leave with a better understanding of Singapore’s hawker food history through the palette.


















