Kampong Glam Walking Tour

Kampong Glam is so called because the gelam tree - a relative of the eucalyptus - used to grow profusely in this area. This is a Malay name which may be translated loosely as 'Village of Gelam Trees'. However, don't turn up expecting a village here! It's now a highly built-up area with shophouses from colonial times. So it's a good place to see examples of early Singapore shophouse architecture.

Today, Singapore's Malays continue to converge at Kampong Glam because the Sultan's Mosque - Singapore's largest mosque - is located here.

The Sultan's Mosque has a fascinating history. It was rebuilt in 1928 after a major fund-raising project. Many of the poorer folks who donated to the building apparently raised funds from collecting and selling used bottles. If you visit the mosque today, you'll see its main dome sitting on a black rimmed structure made up entirely of glass bottles. This serves as a reminder that the mosque is built not only for the well-off but also the humbler folks.

How to do the Kampong Glam Walking Tour:

1. Take the MRT to Bugis Station. Exit, walk along Victoria St in the direction of Golden Landmark Hotel. You'll come to a junction with Arab St. Begin your walking tour at this junction.

2. Visit the shophouses on Arab St and Bussorah St. Marvel at the colourful textiles and home decor. Here you may get yourself a nice rattan laundry basket, an Afghan carpet or an exquisite piece of silk for that head-turning dress.

3. At the end of Bussorah St, visit Sultan Mosque.

4. Near the mosque is the Malay Heritage Centre, which has informative exhibits about Malay culture. Also worth doing here are the workshops. You may spend a day molding your own pottery or creating your own batik art.

Allow half a day; or full-day if you want to do the workshops.