Paid a visit to the famous CHIJMES, a former convent and a historical landmark of Singapore. This trip was actually planned - as I really wanted to go to CHIJMES for a visit. I'd never been in there before...and I was pretty curious after one of my friends told me that it was a good photo-taking spot. So I went!
Before I stepped into CHIJMES, I had a walk around the main lobby of the Carlton Hotel - located opposite CHIJMES. The name "Carlton" really reminds me of Carlton Football Club in Australia. But anyway, the hotel was really grand and people were nice!
CHIJMES (pronounced as "chimes") was initially a Catholic convent and remained so for 132 years before it was de-consecrated. The chapel was built in 1904 based on a Gothic style - where characteristic features include a pointed arch, ribbed vault (intersection of two or more vaults) and flying buttress (vertical block being supported by an arch attached to the wall). CHIJMES has now been converted into a complex for restaurants, pubs and functions. On the day I went to CHIJMES, there was a wedding reception in the main chapel.
The main entrance to CHIJMES - seen through the intricate gates.
One of the many corridors along CHIJMES. Like most of them - this one has Corinthian-styled pillars.
Decided to climb up one of the spiral staircases for a different viewpoint. People were strolling in and out of the chapel - apparently they were guests from the wedding reception.
The two spiral staircases on both ends were very intricate, and were supposedly meant for staff only. Fortunately no one caught me. The staircases were really steep though, and I had to be really careful with my equipment. I initially thought that I could climb up to the 2nd floor, but it was cordoned off.
Stepped outside where I caught a good view of the chapel and the famous tower. The CHIJMES chapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain.
Right now, there were many restaurants surrounding the main chapel. CHIJMES itself has beautiful landscapes - it was designed specially to be a "city within a city" - self-contained and organised. After de-consecration, CHIJMES was converted into a hub for restaurants, bars and so on - and it was well-restored and well-preserved. The complex was gazetted as a national monument in 1990.
Remnants of drinks from a party the night before. Not surprising - since there were quite a number of bars here!
The corridors around this area were less intricate, but equally beautiful nevertheless. There wasn't a single person in sight around here, so I literally had the whole place to myself.
Back up to another part of the complex - near the main chapel. You can clearly see the distinctive Corinthian pattern on the pillars. Corinthian patterns are pretty intricate, and usually pillars with Corinthian patterns appear slimmer but well-decorated.
The pointed arches between two pillars - a good place for framing pictures of the chapel and of the whole area itself. There were a number of frangipanni trees around, and they provided great decoration and shade.
And of course - the exterior of the corridors.
Yet another illustration of the Gothic-styled cathedral - the ribbed vault (intersection of two or more vaults). The ceiling of the chapel had this distinctive pattern. St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne has such a ceiling too - it is also designed based on the same style as CHIJMES.
In these pictures, I deliberately included the reflection from the stained glass. The chapel had glass doors to its entrance, which were closed for the wedding. Obviously we weren't allowed to take pictures of the guests, so I had to find some way to spice things up!
The Gate of Hope. Many babies were abandoned here - only to be taken in by nuns at CHIJMES - during tough times in Singapore.
The plaque on the door reads: "At this small gate of the former [Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, or CHIJ], many babies were abandoned to be picked up by the Sisters of the Convent. This was the origin of the Home for Abandoned Babies. For over 100 years, the orphanage was born to children from poor or broken families, as well as unwanted babies. The orphanage took in many Chinese baby girls born in the year of the tiger - [or] "tiger girls", because of the strong [superstition] then, that they would bring bad luck to the family. In 1968, the Mother Superior noted that the practice was stopped as there was a marked change in this superstitious belief. The Home for Abandoned Babies ceased functioning in 1983 when CHIJ was relocated. The CHIJ was founded in 1854 in Singapore by the French Catholic Missionary - Father Jean Marie Beurel."
Raffles Hotel is another icon in Singapore. It was established by the Sarkies brothers (Armenian brothers) in 1887, and was built based on a colonial style. It now houses shops, high-class hotel suites and is a popular destination for many celebrities.
Who could ever forget the famous Long Bar - where the cocktail Singapore Sling was invented?! Yes - it is situated in Raffles Hotel! The cocktail was invented by Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender, before 1915. It has a red appearance, and the original cocktail consists of gin, Cherry Heering, Benedictine and fresh pineapple juice. The Singapore Sling is still one of the most popular cocktails nowadays, although it is now dispensed differently and can be bought outside Long Bar. In fact, I always have Singapore Sling on board Singapore Airlines - they probably have a special premix for it.
The Singapore Sling is actually my favourite cocktail ever. I can never get tired of it! I remembered that I first tried it in 2009 on board Singapore Airlines and was totally awed by it. And now - it's a common practice for me to drink it on board Singapore Airlines...just like how I always eat cup noodles on board JetStar. One day I should drink Singapore Sling at Long Bar!
The main courtyard of Raffles Hotel. It's quiet now, but at night it transforms into a hub of activities. Maybe the rain was hindering the activities? I had to keep dodging around to get shelter from the umbrellas! And it didn't help that the floor was slippery and I wore a pair of CANVAS shoes...damn...
Complaints aside. Pictures turned out pretty decent!
Some of the shops around the main arcade. These include Estheva Spa, Louis Vuitton and many others! There were also famous restaurants apart from Long Bar, mostly for fine-dining and high class food. The oldest restaurant in Singapore - Tiffin Room - is housed in Raffles Hotel too. Other restaurants include Empire Cafe, Ah Teng's bakery, Raffles Creamery and Royal China at Raffles.
The north wing of the hotel is pretty grand, with its staircases, chandeliers and so on.
Went up to the second floor of the hotel - and caught a glimpse of one of the suites from where I was standing. I wonder how it is like to stay in a suite in Raffles Hotel - many celebrities have done that and I'm pretty sure they really enjoyed it. The hotel is so beautiful!
Looking down one of the corridors - from the same spot as the previous picture...
And looking out to capture details of the famous facade. The building has been really well-maintained! The floors were sparkling clean, the decorations were immaculate...
Nearly hyperventilated at the sight of this wonderfully old-fashioned lift!!! The lift smelled like scented wood (which was really fragrant to be honest), and was small...but its mechanisms were reminiscent of old lifts in the 1900s - numbers and all. It was such a far cry from the modern lifts I've been taking within shopping centres. Would love to go back to Raffles Hotel to take the old lifts again someday!
Back down on the ground floor (Raffles Hotel has 3 floors). To take more pictures of the narrow corridors.
And last but not least - doors with the iconic Raffles Hotel logo on top of it.
And that's it for Raffles Hotel and CHIJMES! Glad to have visited 2 historical Singaporean landmarks in a day. I should go back again someday for another view!