Singapore Shopping - Singapore and Malaysia - page 166

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Raffles City Shopping Centre Raffles City sits right on top of the City Hall MRT
station, which makes it a v ery w ell-visited mall. M en's and women 's fashions, books,
cosmetics, and accessories ar e sold in shops her e, along with gifts. 252 North Bridge Rd.
& 65/6338-7766.
Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade These shops ar e mostly haute coutur e; however,
there is the Raffles H otel gift shop for inter esting souvenirs. For golfers, ther e's a J ack
Nicklaus signature store. 328 North Bridge Rd. & 65/6337-1886.

3 THE SHOPPING SCENE, PART 2:
MULTICULTURAL SHOPPING

The most exciting shopping can be found within the ethnic enclaves throughout the city.
Down narrow streets, bargains are to be had on all sorts of unusual items. If you're stuck
for a gift idea, r ead on. Chances ar e, I'll mention something for ev en the most difficult
person on your list.
CHINATOWN
For Chinese goods, nothing beats Yue Hwa , 70 E u Tong Sen St. ( & 65/6538-
4222 ), a fiv e-story Chinese emporium that 's an attraction in its o wn right. The superb
inventory includes all manner of silk w ear (robes, underwear, blouses), embroidery and
house linens, bolt silks, tailoring ser vices (for per fect mandarin dr esses), cloisonné
(enamel work) jewelry and gifts, pottery, musical instruments, traditional Chinese cloth-
ing for men and women (fr om scholars' robes to coolie duds), jade and gold, cashmer e,
art supplies, herbs—I could go on and on. P rices are terrific. P lan to spend some time
here.
For one-stop souvenir shopping, you can tick off half y our list at Chinatown Point,
aka the Singapore H andicraft Center, 133 N ew B ridge Rd. ( & 6534-0112 ), with
dozens of small shops that sell mainly Chinese handicraft items fr om car ved jade to
imported Chinese classical instr uments and lacquer ware. The best gifts ther e include
hand-carved chops (Chinese seals), with a fe w shops offering good selections of car ved
stone, wood, bone, glass, and iv ory chops r eady to be car ved to y our specifications.
Simple designs are affordable, although some of the mor e elaborate chops and car vings
fetch a handsome sum. You can also commission a personaliz ed Chinese scroll painting
or calligraphy piece.
In the heart of Chinatown, Pagoda and Trengganu streets are closed to vehicular traf-
fic and host a vibrant Chinatown Street Market (open daily about 11am-11pm), where
you can find a wide variety of Chinese silk robes, Indonesian batik souvenirs, Vietnamese
lacquerware, Thai silk home linens, and S ingaporean souvenirs—the list goes on. I' ve
found the prices her e to be inflated. I f you're on a shoestring budget, find similar items
at the market at the corner of Trengganu and Sago Streets, called Chinatown Complex,
where you may find it easier to bargain.
My all-time favorite gift idea? Spend an afternoon learning the traditional Chinese tea
ceremony at the Tea Chapter, 9-11 N eil Rd. ( & 65/6226-1175 ), and pick up a tea
set—they have a lovely selection of tea pots, cups, and accessories, as w ell as quality teas
for sale. When you return home, y ou'll be r eady to giv e a fabulous gift—not just a tea
set, but y our own cultural per formance as w ell. Another neat place to visit is Kwong

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