Kampong Glam

October 12, 2024

Here’s a quiz:

Kampong Glam is:

A) a popular Malaysian chicken dish 

B) a popular Southeast Asian all-girl rock band 

C) the name of the tallest building in Singapore

D) the name of the merlion, Singapore’s mascot

E) the Muslim quarter of Singapore

F) the Buddhist quarter of Singapore

This little shop is very popular for “curry puffs”

Kampong Glam is Singapore’s Muslim quarter, but it also showcases Singapore’s Malay heritage.

We met up with our guide, Ping, near a cluster of buildings that looked like a housing project. It actually was a housing project. Ping called it an “HDB Block” (Housing Development Board). She said that 80% of Singaporeans live in some sort of subsidized housing - as owners, not renters. She showed us photos of a model unit. It looked quite nice, though it was very small by American standards.

There is a pole extending from each window for hanging laundry out to dry

At the ground level of one of the HDB Blocks, preparations were underway for a funeral, including these wreaths with light-upsigns

Inside the curry puff shop

Hajjah Fatima Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Singapore and a rare example of a mosque named after a woman

From the side and back you can see how deep the narrow shophouses are

In earlier times, a popular structure in Singapore was a “shophouse.” They were typically 2- or 3-story buildings with a shop on the street level and living quarters for the shop owner’s family above.

A bounty of baked goods was available in some of the shops.

As we rambled along the streets of Kampong Glam it began to rain. The crowded streets cleared quickly. 

But the rain did not stop our group from enjoying the historical murals painted on some of the buildings. 

Colorful shophouses

Kampong Glam is also home to a noteworthy textile district.

Beaded tulle is paired with a pink silk or satin for a formal look

More Kampong Glam street scenes:

Finally, Ping showed us the stunning Atlas Bar, which boasts the largest gin collection in the world. I believe it.

I found the balance that I mentioned the other day. Ping talked about balance a lot. The one detail that really struck me was the use of feng shui in many of the buildings here - to achieve balance.

Today’s fabric strikes me as a very typical Singaporean or Malaysian style. I would describe it as “cutwork.”