Having gone through Singapore’s education system, I’ve no doubt had my fair share of Singapore history and social studies, sprinkled generously throughout my primary and secondary school years. With the often-lamented loss of the kampung spirit from the past or the frequent assertions of the need to treasure the multicultural heritage to preserve racial and religious harmony, the vague impression I had of Singapore’s past never resonated beyond propaganda-ish textbook content that tried in vain to instil any sense of nostalgia, appreciation, or communal camaraderie.
What heritage I could appreciate and resonate with though, was the food I ate from the hawker centre. Hawker culture engaged with my senses directly, as I inhaled the aroma of wok-fried carrot cake, tasted the barbeque flavour of charcoal-grilled satay and otah, and sipped on traditional kopi, teh and bandung like an amateur wine connoisseur. Smells and tastes of the present connected me better to the distant past more vividly than any classroom lesson ever could.
Perhaps it was the personal experience of eating, knowing what was in front of me was made for my consumption and enjoyment, with no obligation to derive deep lessons or glean mind-blowing insights from. It was simply from plate to mouth, no reflection paragraphs nor argumentative essays required.
Beyond my gustatory and olfactory senses, it is unsurprising that engaging my sight and kinesthetic senses on a walking tour through mural art has become another activity I enjoy. Mural hunting felt like a natural extension of my ongoing pursuit for all things aesthetically pleasing, from indie fashion to handmade accessories (think polymer clay earrings). As a local Chinese, the murals I particularly enjoyed were several illustrating Chinese diaspora culture specific to the Singaporean community, portraying snapshots from Singapore life that have vanished into distant memories. Seeing the Singaporean-ness amidst the Chinese-ness vaguely reminded me of my visit to the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) a while back.
Here are some murals I particularly enjoyed if you’re looking for something free-of-charge to do on your next outing alone or with friends!
- Kampong Gelam at 13 Jalan Pinang
Located behind Hotel NuVe near the Bugis area, this piece of art depicts other forms of art within it. The colourful rug on the right drapes realistically, with casting creased shadows at specific spots, and each basket hangs uniquely, a nod towards the handmade craft. I love warm earth tones that bring the vivid batik-printed or embroidered textiles together with the assortment of woven rattan baskets and mats, creating a cohesive visual and bringing to life the shop scene.
- Cattleland 2 at 67 Kerbau Road
Equally vibrant is this abstract mural in Little India, paying homage to the area’s past where it was used for cattle-trading, and also the significance of cattle being seen as sacred animals representing Mother Earth in Hinduism. This is also how the road got its name kerbau, which means cow or buffalo in Malay. (Yes, KK Hospital, formerly Kandang Kerbau Hospital, was named after the buffalo enclosures in the area.) Interestingly, Kerbau Road is adjacent to Buffalo Road, which literally means the same thing but in different languages!
The colourful and patterned buffaloes, one even riding a bicycle, are located right beside Little India MRT’s Exit E. They were a design adapted from the original “Cattleland” mural, which has since been covered up.
- Cantonese Opera along Temple Street, near South Bridge Road
Another colourful artwork featuring yet another form of art within itself is this mural which showcases the performance art of Chinese opera. Situated behind the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown, the mural faces the road which can get a little busy with traffic. The large piece illustrates not only the opera performance, but also the musicians backstage, and kacang puteh seller and his cart a short distance away, and even a performer collecting a takeaway meal in a tingkat tiffin carrier, making for a very lively and happening scene.
The seemingly haphazard streetside performance—with so much going on around it—is a far cry from today’s theatre performances which are mostly held in well-contained, enclosed performance-specific venues with fixed seating.
Notably, this street is equally busy in real life, with traffic frequently passing through. I had visited this mural multiple times (though infrequently), and finally settled on this picture—despite the photobombing car hood—after being met with other obstacles previously. Once, there was a moderately large truck parked in front of it, while another time there were temporary tentage structures built in front of it for seasonal stalls when I was there close to a pre-COVID Chinese New Year.
- Nostalgia at 30 Temple Street
On the topic of Chinese opera, this other mural, also on Temple Street, features a multi-panel display of an artistic rendering of Chinatown, as well as Singapore as a whole. Located in a smaller alley than the previous, its main panel shows an opera performer dressed in full costume and makeup, in the foreground of the picture. I like how the performer even seems to be ‘popping out’ compared to the rest of the postcard-esque background!
- Home at Block 74 Tiong Poh Road, along Eu Chin Street
Unlike the previous murals, this is smaller, less colourful and less striking. Yet, I relate to it the most. The scene in a Chinese family’s prototypical old HDB flat feels familiar and nostalgic, from the old metal fan, to both a daily and monthly calendar, the now-extinct Yellow Pages below the telephone, as well as the ottoman. My grandfather’s home still uses that TV cabinet as a display shelf, long after multiple new TVs were placed (and replaced) beside it. Also, I’m sure I’ve seen that large empty vase without plants in another corner of his house. The person chilling out behind the newspapers on the wooden armchair could even be my grandfather himself—save for the fact that he would be reading The Straits Times instead!
The details make this mural: the white tiled floor, the uniquely shaped window-grilles, the serious-looking rarely-taken family portrait, the few pencils on the table by phone, the Axe Brand medicated oil, and the thermos flask. Some of these motifs used to symbolise the Singaporean Chinese lifestyle might not be found in my own home specifically, but the artwork as a whole still evokes a soothing sense of home.
- Provision Shop at 8 Spottiswoode Park Road and Everton Road
I like how this mural shows both what is familiar and foreign to me. My neighbourhood’s provision shop looks nothing like this, but I have seen these biscuit tins, the coconut grating machine and weighing scale at the stalls in my wet market, which I used to visit daily with my mum as a kid. The gunny sacks of spices remind me of Albert Market and Food Centre near Waterloo Street, colloquially known as Si Ma Lu (四马路) or Fourth Street, where my mother goes to get dry goods and snacks, especially before Chinese New Year.
- Wet Market at 30 Temple Street
Finally, the newest of these murals is this 3-storey tall mural with both realistic and interactive elements as well as a larger-than-life teapot pouring into similarly large teacups. This piece happens to be located right beside the earlier mentioned Nostalgia. Painted in late November 2021, this artwork stretches a long area—even turning a corner—and has numerous photo-opportunities. These include sitting at the chee cheong fun stall, imagining how you would order more food—bak chang, yam cake and peanut porridge—from the uncle’s menu.
Beside the cooked food section is the wet market section, which depicts stalls selling vegetables, fish, yong tau foo, roast pork, and even a chicken coop of live chickens beside a roast chicken stall! That reminded me of my older relatives recounting how the stall owners would slaughter chicken right in the market, and defeathering was a commonly-seen food-preparation process.
These murals are lifelike snapshots from the past, and viewing them helped me understand the anecdotes from my grandparents and older relatives better.
The appeal of intricate and detailed art drew me to these scenes initially, but being physically present in these locations seemed to give me a deeper sense of connection to distant histories.
Ultimately, they’re simply pleasant to the eyes and a fun outing, without any onus placed on them to be especially educational or insightful. And I like the simplicity of that—appreciating art.