Asian Civilisation Museum

Overlooking the Singapore River, the Asian Civilisation Museum (ACM) is located at a wonderful place with exhilarating scenery. ACM had been a government office for most of its life. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was re-named the Empress Place Building in honour of Queen Victoria. People still remember this building for its purpose such as Citizen's Registry, Immigration Department, and Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.The ACM had been an exhibition centre once in the 1990's, where a series of exhibitions from China was held. Since then, the building was converted to make it suitable for use as a museum. Finally, the ACM was opened at the Empress Place Building in 2003.

The ACM is a miniature world of Asian civilisations and has more than 11 galleries for the visitors to view. There are themed galleries integrated with multimedia and interactive components to showcase the story of Asia. Virtual hosts, in-gallery videos and interactive ExplorAsian zones can be found in the galleries. These act as guideposts which help visitors to learn more about the different aspects of Asian cultures. Visitors will find it easier to understand with all these features.

Gallery 1, The Singapore River Gallery, relates many stories about coolies, Chattier, the indigenous Orang Laut and the newly arrived Europeans. A natural embarkation point has been created for a journey into the other galleries. The showcase will swept you further back into the past history and the myriad cultures of Asia.

The Southeast Asia Gallery which comprises of Gallery 3, 4 and 4a covers a long history of over 2500 years and a wide range of cultures like classical Javanese of Indonesia. There is a collection of bronze and ceramic pieces dating back to 600 BC. They are evidences of trade and commerce in early days of Southeast Asia. The Mary and Philbert Chin Gallery (Gallery 4) exhibits the diversity of jewellery and textiles across Southeast Asia. In Gallery 4a, there is a show of Southeast Asian performing arts. A Javanese gamelan orchestra is surrounded by masks and puppets from Cambodia to Indonesia, while the art of performance is brought into the museum by a life-size audiovisual of dancers and musicians.
The West Asia Gallery which is Gallery 5 and 5a focuses on Islam, one of the major religions originated from West Asia. Islam is a monotheistic religion that focuses on the glorification of one god - Allah. Visitors will be able to discover the results of this devotion in Gallery 5. Creative calligraphies displayed in this gallery are remarkable. The art of calligraphy had developed to a certain extent that numerous of complex shapes could be formed from the written Qur’anic verses. Besides calligraphy, abstract art forms had taken place as well. An example will be painted star designs on architectural panels.


Gallery 6- The China Gallery showcases the Chinese culture in China and the costumes of the Emperor in the past. In the Chinese society, teachings are mostly based on the Confucianism. Displayed paintings and calligraphy are the peaceful surface of the high officials and some times, the tragic life of the officials. Chinese ceramics are exhibited. The religion of Buddhism and Taoism are shown through the exhibition of Buddhist stone statues and reliefs. This shows the continuity of religious expression in Chinese society.


Gallery 7 & 8- The South Asia Gallery looks into the rich diversity in the region through themes such as religion, science and performing arts. Collections of coins, jewellery and terracotta figures are showcased. Early scientific achievements by these civilisations are shown on the wall. These galleries mainly consist of religious artefacts since it was the birthplace of two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Different regional styles are covered for the museum’s collection of stone representations of the Hindu gods. Early Buddhist artefacts on displayed include statues and stupa models.
Tourists who are interested in the early civilisations of the different regions, you should quickly make a trip down to the Asian Civilisations Museum. There are a wide range of different collections which will be an eye-opener for you. In addition, there is information on different cultures, religions and races. Hence, if you are a history-lover and is on a trip to Singapore, make your way down to the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Opening hours:
Monday 1pm- 7pm
Tuesday - Sunday 9am-7pm
(to 9pm on Fridays)

Admission charges
Admission charges may vary during special exhibitions
Individual Admission
Adults $8.00
Concession* $4.00
* full-time students and those 60 years and above

Group Admission
(for groups of 20 and above)
Adults $6.00
Concession* $3.00
* full-time students and those 60 years and above

• Free admission to visitors aged 6 and below
• Free admission for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 60 years and above everyday
• 50% discount for foreigners aged 60 and above everyday
• Discounted admission charges on Fridays 7pm - 9pm

Chinatown Heritage Centre

Chinatown Heritage Centre showcases an extensive collection and untold stories of how Singapore's early forefathers lived in the area after their harsh travel from miles away.

Every level of the Centre allows you to experience the lives of its early occupants. Life was simple with almost everyone living in rented rooms of shophouses. Living conditions were harsh as there were poverty and diseases. This had led to many of its people seeking pleasure in opium smoking, prostitution, gambling and secret societies, also known as the Four Evils. All these stories and collection can be found in the Chinatown Heritage Centre, allowing people to explore the true history of Singapore's forefathers.


These exhibits tells the story about the lives of Chinatown's former residents. Get a chance to learn about how a typical shophouse was like in the past, with each being skillfully re-created based on the recollections of its former residents, through the exhibits.

Guided tours of the Gallery are conducted on the hour. One should also drop by at the Centre's Kopi Tiam (a traditional term for coffeeshop) for an aromatic cup of coffee and local snack. Tourists could also select from a wide range of unique traditional souvenirs like hand-sewn Chinese quilted blankets, traditional miniature sewing machines and clogs at the retail shop.



Open: 10am - 7pm (daily)

Admission: SGD 8 adults, SGD 4.80 children

Approximate Touring Time: 1.5 hours

Location: 48 Pagoda Street Singapore 059207
Tel: (65) 6325 2878
Fax: (65) 6325 2879
E-mail: enquiry@chinatownheritagecentre.com.sg

Getting There: Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25) and take bus service no. 61, 80, 197 from North Bridge Road.

Official Website: http://www.chinatownheritagecentre.sg/

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