Trail #2: City Hall (Part I)

Introduction
City Hall has lots of interesting things to see and quite a bit of shopping to do. Therefore, the City Hall Trail will be separated into several parts so that it's more manageable. 

City Hall Trail 
I did a City Hall Trail yesterday and here, I've marked the places on Google Map. If you are interested in retracing my footsteps, all you need to do is to print out the map and to follow it accordingly. Why I did this was because sometimes when I was travelling, I was often bothered by which sequence I should take in order to maximise my sightseeing.

View Larger Map

A. City Hall MRT Station
Start from City Hall MRT Station. If you haven't shopped in days and have an urge to shop, you may want to go to Raffles City Shopping Centre via the escalator located in the MRT Station. A mix of mid priced and high end goods. Lots of eateries there.

As you proceed, you will see the Capitol Building on your right at the junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road. This building was completed in 1933 and was one of the very few air-conditioned theatres when it was built. Walk further and you will see the St Andrew's Cathedral on your left. It is the largest cathedral in Singapore.

B. Peninsula Plaza 
I seldom go to Peninsula Plaza. But I was surprised to know that there were so many Myanmar shops in the shopping centre! If you are craving some Myanmar food but don't want to take a plane there, this should be your best bet.

C. Civil Defence Heritage Gallery
Click here to read the post about this gallery. Admission is free. If you are interested in gadgets, you might want to cross the road to go to Funan Digitallife Mall although many people go to Sim Lim Square at Bugis for cheap deals.

D. Armenian Church
The Armenian Church is the oldest Christian church in Singapore. The building was completed in 1835 and modelled after St Gregory's Church in Echmiadzin, the mother church in northern Armenia. You can take a walk in the gardens and admire the architecture. Famous Armenians in Singapore include the Sarkies brothers who built and managed the Raffles Hotel and Agnes Joaquim who hybridised Singapore's national flower.

If you look across the road, you will see an interesting oriental structure which has a blend of both Chinese and Western architectural styles. That is the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

E. Singapore Philatelic Museum
Click here to read more about the Museum.

Next to it is the Masonic Hall which is undergoing what looks like some conservation process. I thought the window panels were quite interesting. Completed in 1886, the locals once called the building rumah hantu (haunted house) because few knew what happened in this exclusive clubhouse. 

If you are feeling in a mood for a walk amongst lush greeneries, you can proceed to the Fort Canning Park instead of going to the Peranakan Museum. Just continue walking down the stretch and follow the signs. Or, if you are in a mood to get married, you may proceed to the Registries of Marriages too! 

F. Peranakan Museum 
Click here for the review.

This walk took me about 3 hours, including all the time spent in the galleries. From here, you can either venture into the Bras Basah/Dhoby Ghaut area where more shopping and eating awaits (or the National Museum of Singapore if you haven't had enough of museums) or you can take the route shown in this trail to get back to City Hall MRT Station to embark on the second part of the trail which will allow you to see the beautiful skyline of Singapore at night.