Walk through 1950s history at newly reopened Chinatown Heritage Centre

Step back into the sights and sounds of Chinatown's bustling 1950s marketplace at the newly reopened Chinatown Heritage Centre (CHC).

- Stacey Ngiam

After closing its doors in March 2021, the centre in Pagoda Street reopened in January, following a major revamp under a new operator, Woopa Travels.

It had closed owing to difficulties arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.

Now fully restored, the centre offers a mix of original features such as displays of a traditional tailor's shop and wooden cubicle homes, and new ones like the 1950s marketplace with street food vendors and letter writers.

A dedicated gallery showcases eight heritage brands like Eu Yan Sang, a household name in traditional Chinese medicine, and traditional Cantonese pastry shop Tong Heng, complete with original artefacts from the businesses in their early days.

The centre had a formal reopening ceremony on May 13, attended by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth.

Mr Suen Tat Yam, 39, chief executive of Woopa Travels, said the centre has had about 31,000 visitors since its soft launch in January. The aim is to increase its footfall to 100,000 visitors per year by the end of 2025.

Tickets to the centre are priced at $15 for Singapore residents and $12 for local children and seniors.