Ultimate Singapore Street Art Guide: Chinatown

Singapore street art is visible in many of its neighbourhoods; however, Chinatown is unbeatable for its murals. On my second visit to Singapore, I focused on exploring the street art in Chinatown, rather than revisiting the street art in Kampong Glam, which I had seen previously. I was glad I did, as the street art in this Singapore neighbourhood is incredible.

The artist Yip Yew Chong is responsible for brightening the walls of Chinatown with his iconic urban art style, which has taken the city by storm. Discovering his murals on the street art trail in Chinatown is a lot of fun, and best of all, it's one of the free activities in Singapore.

His designs feature stories of everyday life in old Singapore, both at work and at home, and a few are based on childhood memories of himself, his siblings, and his parents. This signature style of Singapore street art is Yip Yew Chong's calling card and is a joy to see.

Chong's murals depict past trades, like clog-making, fortune-telling, and letter-writing, and his attention to detail is remarkable. Some of his Chinatown murals are so large that you almost feel you are part of them.

Continue reading to discover where to find the fantastic wall murals in Chinatown, along with a brief description of each piece. I also highlight other neighbourhoods in Singapore that I have visited, each with extensive street art, accompanied by photographs of the murals.

Where to find street art in Chinatown

I have seen much street art around the world, and I must say that, after Ernest Zacharevic's famous murals in George Town, Penang, this Chinatown street art by the urban artist Yip Yew Chong is a close runner-up as my favourite. In fact, he has one piece on the Chew Jetty in Penang. It is nice to see his murals are visible in other countries.

You can use this map of street art in Singapore to pinpoint the pieces I have detailed in this post. They are all very close to each other, so you won't need to walk far. While in the area, you can also visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Map of street art in Chinatown, Singapore

If you prefer to be part of a guided tour of Chinatown, you will get to see some of Chinatown's street art, plus attractions like Sri Mariamman Temple (the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore), the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, and Chinatown Cultural Centre.

Singapore Murals by Yip Yew Chong

Mid-Autumn Festival Mural

Find this street art between Smith Street and New Bridge Road. It depicts a family celebrating time off work during a Chinese festival. Traditional lanterns and paper kites hang on strings in their home. The parents enjoy durian and other local fruits, while the children play in the street with a toy car.

The Letter Writer Mural 

This intricate mural depicts a man writing letters. In olden days, the letter writer was highly respected. He was paid to write letters for illiterate Chinese immigrants to send to their families left behind in China. This Chinatown mural is situated on the north side of the Chinatown Complex, at the corner of Smith and New Bridge Street.

Detective Conan Mural

Find this piece of street art between Smith Street and South Bridge Road. It shows the child detective, from an Asian children's TV show, standing at a durian stall in Chinatown. Durian fruit has quite a story attached to it. You can't eat it in enclosed public spaces, as it has an extremely pungent smell. Its smell is so bad that it's prohibited from being eaten in hotel rooms around Asia.

Cantonese Opera Mural 

You will find this lovely mural between Temple Street and South Bridge Road. It's an elaborate scene from a Chinese opera performance, with local families seated on wooden stools, watching for entertainment. Street vendors sell food to children during the show, and a tea vendor passes a tiffin box to one of the actors on stage.

Can you pick out these close-up images of characters from the Cantonese Opera wall mural? The details that Yip Yew Chong creates are incredible.

My Chinatown Home Mural

Find this beautiful street art mural between Smith Street and Temple Street. The scene is from inside a shophouse. A lady repairs a blanket while children play games. A person is busy preparing food in the kitchen.

It depicts Yip Yew Chong's first house in Sago Lane, Chinatown, so it is one of his most treasured pieces of street art. Read more about this mural from the artist himself.

Clog Maker and Kitchenware Shop Mural

This piece of Singapore street art depicts a clogmaker at work. Clogs were worn in kitchens and wet markets, making his trade highly in demand. His wife runs the kitchenware store beside him. Find the clog maker between Temple Street and Trengganu Street.

Paper Mask and Puppet Seller Mural

This piece of Singapore street art is possibly my favourite. I love its vibrant colours and the fact that such a fabulous mural is down a very unassuming side road - Mohamed Ali Lane (side wall of house 227 South Bridge Road).

The information about the paper mask seller is part of the mural and describes his colourful cart as an iconic sight in the 1980s. He handcrafted the paper masks and would happily pose for photographs with tourists.

Thian Hock Keng Mural

This huge mural is on Amoy Street, on the side of Thian Hock Keng, Singapore's oldest Chinese temple. Yip Yew Chong employs a more subtle colour palette for this piece of street art, which serves as a timeline of Singapore. It is fabulous to see that the authorities allowed the artist to paint on the side of such a historic building.

Other neighbourhoods to find street art in Singapore

While I have listed the best pieces of street art to see in Chinatown, there are plenty of other places in Singapore to see street art, which I have listed below:

Kampong Glam

This is probably the most well-known place in Singapore to find street art. You won't have to search very hard for it because it is everywhere you turn. Here are some photos of the street art I took during my visit to Kampong Glam.

I have visited Kampong Glam twice, and some of the murals, graffiti, and street art have changed, so you might see different ones on your visit.

Close by to Kampong Glam is the Sultan Arts Village, where you can often see street artists at work or even have a go yourself.

Little India

You will find information boards detailing where to find street art in Little India. I didn't see it all, as, to be honest, I wasn't overly enamoured with this neighbourhood and didn't want to spend too long in it. Nevertheless, the street art I saw was nice.

Katong

The East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road in Katong have a good range of murals to see. Joo Chiat Road is also a lovely place to wander, with a hip vibe. This is where you will also be able to see Singapore's colourful Peranakan Houses. It's my favourite neighbourhood.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Singapore's street art and will look out for it when you visit.

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