If you have been following Little Day Out for sometime, you will know that we are longtime fans of Yip Yew Chong and that’s why we were delighted that he has painted a mural capturing the history and heritage of Kampong Gelam at Arab Street.
The mural is painted along the side wall of 92 Arab Street, transforming it from being previously a plain green wall into a vibrant portrait of Kampong Gelam of old. It can be viewed along Muscat Street, where there are other murals that reflect Omani themes.
The Arab Street murals by Yip Yew Chong capture something different: the history and culture of Kampong Gelam.
Yip Yew Chong’s Kampong Gelam Mural At 92 Arab Street
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Like his much-lauded Chinatown murals, the Yip Yew Chong mural at Kampong Gelam capture scenes from the past that have since disappeared. They also have a dose of interactivity thrown in for added fun.
One part of the mural shows Kampong Gelam when it was still a seafront village. Depicted in the mural are landmarks such as Sultan Mosque with a Nasantara-style pyramid shaped roof, and the Istana Kampong Gelam, which is now the under-renovation Malay Heritage Centre.
Trades from the past that once flourished in the area are shown in the lower half of the mural, including tombstone engraving and iron smithing.
Two maps – one from the 1920s and 1930s and another from present day – allow visitors to the mural compare and reflect how much has changed in the area.
Another section of the mural remembers when Kampong Gelam used to be a hub for pilgrims going on the Haj, who would stay at boarding houses and there were wayang kulit performances put up on the streets.
Go around the corner and you’ll find a representation of Gedung Kuning or the iconic Yellow Mansion.
Pose with the Mural at Muscat Street
Looking for somewhere to pose with the mural?
Why not take a seat beside the satay seller, or hang out with the teh tarik man (which is genius-ly painted on the facade of an actual teh tarik shop).
The Arab Street mural of Kampong Gelam is a vibrant and colourful way to bring across Singapore’s past.
And judging by the attention it is getting and number of people who have been stopping to take pictures, it looks like it is helping to reviving the past once again.
