2 Best Sights in Singapore

In its younger years, Bugis Street was the epitome of Singapore's seedy, but colorful nightlife, famous for the skimpily garbed cross-dressers who paraded its sidewalks. The government wasn't delighted, though, and the area was razed to make way for the Bugis MRT station. So strong was the outcry that Bugis Street has been re-created (but not really) just steps from its original site, between Victoria and Queen streets, Rochor Road, and Cheng Yan Place. The shophouses have been resurrected, and hawker food stands compete with casual-dining restaurants. Closed to traffic, the streets in the center of the block are a haven for bargain hunters after fast fashion or made-in-China trinkets. Across the road is Bugis Junction, a shopping center packed with mid-range dining options and clothing stores.

The dusty, incense-filled interior of this popular temple has altars heaped with hundreds of small statues of gods from the Chinese pantheon. Of the hundreds of deities, Kwan Im, more often known as Kuan Yin, is perhaps most dear to the hearts of Buddhist Singaporeans. Legend has it that just as she was about to enter Nirvana, she heard a plaintive cry from Earth. Filled with compassion, she gave up her place in paradise to devote herself to alleviating the pain of those on Earth. Her name means "to see and hear all." People in search of advice come to the Kwan Im temple, shake cham si (bamboo fortune sticks), and wait for an answer. The gods are most receptive on days of a new or full moon.