Asian Civilisations Museum 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
|
Asian Civilisations Museum is a must! Just adjacent to the Raffles Landing Site along the Singapore River is the stately Asian Civilisations Museum. This jewel in the National Heritage Board's bevy of museums is split across two locations, both worth visiting.
Main Museum at Empress Place Building
- Front Desk: (+65) 6332 7798
- Address: 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555
- Admission: adult/child S$5.00/S$2.50
- Opening Hours:
- Mon: 1.00 to 7.00pm
- Tue to Sun: 9.00am to 7.00pm
- Fri: 9.00am to 9.00pm
- Nearest MRT: Raffles Place MRT Station
- Getting There: 5-minute walk from Raffles Place MRT Station. The museum is just adjacent to the Raffles Landing Site along the Singapore River.
- Parking: available at New Parliament House, 6 Battery Road, One Fullerton and Empress Place.
- Email: nhb_acm_vs@nhb.gov.sg
In February 2003, the neo-classical Empress Place Building of 1867, one of the oldest structures in Singapore and named in honour of Queen Victoria, became the new home of the Asian Civilisations Museum (a second and smaller wing of the museum is found along Armenian Street). At 14,000 sq m (151,000 square feet), this outstanding museum provides generous space to display the ancestral cultures of modern Singaporeans through 10 thematic galleries with over 1,300 artefacts from the musem's growing collections on the civilizations of Southeast Asia, South Asia, China and the Islamic world of West Asia. Complimenting the displays are state-of-the-art interactive hosts, multimedia displays and interactive zones which provide a memorable experience for the senses. With galleries spread over three levels, each of the four regions has its own thematic storyline and permanent displays integrated with interactive kiosks and discovery corners, along with a centre specially dedicated to younger visitors.
Not to be missed is the Singapore River Interpretive Gallery, which tells the moving story of immigrants who once lived and worked along the Singapore River.
You enter through a series of images projected onto walls, floors and finally a slatted curtain, which you walk through to enter the galleries. The Hindu-Buddhist gallery is perhaps the highlight, with beautifully lit displays including a stunning 18th-century Burmese Buddha head and a large bronze drum. Elsewhere you'll find exquisite examples of porcelain, textiles, lacquerware, costumes and huge traditional procession statues. There are also regular touring and programmed exhibitions. Tours in English run at 11am and 2pm most days.
The building's river-facing wing is often abuzz with people at Siem Reap II, a restaurant serving Indochinese specialities and the trendy Bar Opiume next door. Nearby is Dalhousie Obelisk, dedicated to Marquis Dalhousie, India's governor-general from 1848-56, who visited Singapore in 1850.
Second Wing of Museum at Armenian Street(Now Known as Peranakan Museum)
- Phone: (+65) 6332 3015
- Address: 39 Armenian Street, Singapore
- Admission: adult/child S$3/S$1.50
- Opening Hours: 9.00am-5.30pm Tue & Thu-Sun, 9.00am-9.00pm Wed
- Nearest MRT: City Hall MRT Station
Now known as the Peranakan Museum, the Armenian Street branch is housed in the beautifully restored Tao Nan School, dating from 1910. Opened in April 1997, the museum - housing 10 galleries on three levels - showcases a permanent exhibition on the "Peranakan Legacy", which explores the unique culture of the Peranakan people of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Also included here are permanent displays on Peranakan culture, Chinese ceramics and Buddhist artefacts.
Interesting thematic exhibitions are held from time to time, so call the museum or visit its website for more details.
