Cultural sightseeing in Singapore. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

Lying on several islands, the largest of which gave the country its name, Singapore is in the top ten Asian countries in terms of the number of attractions per 1 km2. The jewels of the country can be considered the Armenian Church of Saint Gregory and a modern port. The central part of Singapore is occupied by the business district with modern buildings. It includes a colonial quarter built by Sir Raffles during the British colonization. The famous Empress Place Building houses an art museum and a first-class restaurant. The Victorian-style monument is considered the epitome of the colonial era along with the Parliament House, St. Joseph's Institution, and the Old Supreme Court Building.

The city center accommodates a large number of temples. Tourists will be interested in visiting the Catholic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in the style of the late Renaissance, the Anglican Cathedral of St. Andrew, and St. Gregory's Church - the oldest religious structure built in the Armenian traditions of Christian architecture. Modern skyscrapers can be attributed to the 21st-century sights. On the roof of almost every building, there is an observation deck. With the onset of darkness, the skyscrapers are illuminated by many lights. In the center of Singapore, you can book "Duck Tours" - a short tour of the central part of the country highlighting the main attractions.

In the western part of the main island is the Chinatown. This place is called the heart of the country. Numerous Buddhist temples, decorative hanging bridges, and paths, an abundance of small shops where you can buy authentic souvenirs attract tourists hungry for entertainment. In the same place, you'll find Al-Abrar mosque - one of the most beautiful Muslim shrines, as well as the Hindu temple of Sri Mariamman, which is about two hundred years old. At every step, you can see small cozy parks and houses of local residents decorated with flowers and greenery. Half of the country's area is occupied by national parks and reserves. Such parks as Telok Blangah Hill, Crawford, and Marina offer many entertainment centers and small shops. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The "Tang Dynasty City" historical park is sure to surprise tourists with the realism of Chaani - the ancient Chinese capital. Decorative plants from all over Asia are collected under the glass in a park located on the waterfront. The main place is occupied by the symbol of the country - Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' orchid. The image of the flower adorns a one-cent coin issued before 2000. The National Zoo surprises visitors with the conditions close to the animals' natural habitat. Thrill-seekers can go on a safari to the remote corners of one of the reserves. Jurong is an industrial region of Singapore concentrating all the country's industrial facilities. The purity of the air and the beauty of the streets boggle the imagination.

Here you can find unique tourist sites such as the Chinese Garden with its Haw Par Villa housing a bird sanctuary. The Merlion is a sculpture of the island's protector and mascot. Similar statues depicting the sea lion are met at every step on the way to the Fish Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum, and the World War II Memorial. Small private museum collections attract connoisseurs of folk art and Asian history. Tourists will also appreciate the huge number of museums, including the Museum of Toilets, the Changi Museum with a chapel, and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

Beach areas is another attraction of Singapore. On the small island of Sentosa, there is a resort town that has united hundreds of entertainment centers, the Stones Museum, the Marine Life Park, the Butterfly Park, the Park of Terracotta Warriors and much more. Beaches of the country are distinguished by the purest water and the beauty of the sand, which is regularly brought from the nearby islands. On Sentosa, you can visit the Sky Tower with its observation platform. From its height, one can see the entire island state, as well as vast expanses of the ocean. There are no private cars on the island but buses and bicycles are available for transportation. Pulau Ubin, the island of silence in the north-east of Singapore, gives hours of relaxation on the coast overgrown with age-old palms. The island has many seafood restaurants and small cafes.