SPECIAL EVENT TOURS

OUR CHINESE HERITAGE

CHINATOWN HERITAGE CENTRE	1000 - 1100 hrs
	The Chinatown Heritage Centre (CHC) is a joint project between the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Heritage Board. Located in three newly restored shophouses along Pagoda Street, the Chinatown Heritage Centre houses a wealth of memories and untold stories from the past Each level of the Centre takes you to a different time in the history of Chinatown and allows you to trace the lives of these early settlers. Learn about the rich cultural history of old Chinatown and end your journey with a first-hand experience of living in the dark and cramped quarters of a typical Chinatown
TEA APPRECIATION WITH VINCENT	1100 - 1200 hrs
	Yixing Xuan, which means "small and relaxing teahouse", epitomizes all these and more. More importantly, as one of the pioneers of Chinese teahouses in Singapore, the 13-year-old Yixing Xuan helped spark off a tea-drinking trend among Singaporeans. Central to these activities is Vincent, the fiftyish owner who opened Yixing Xuan back in 1989. The ex-banker had then quit the stressful corporate scene to contemplate life a little, before chancing upon tea. He brushed up his tea knowledge - and Mandarin - in Taiwan's famous Lu Yu "university of tea". Vincent then set up Yixing Xuan and found success in selling tea artefacts, and giving tea appreciation workshops. This tea connoisseur obviously loves his craft very much, evident in the gentle way he handles his tea pots and cups, the contented look as he inhales the aroma of the hot brew, and his patient discourse of the intricacies of tea appreciation to novices.
CHINESE DIM SUM LUNCH	1200 -1400 hrs
	Dim Sum, literally meaning "a little bit of heart" consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies such as the famous egg custard tarts. They are similar to hors d'oeuvres, the hot and cold delicacies served at French restaurants. This is a Cantonese custom, dim sum is inextricably linked to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. It was originally considered inappropriate to combine tea with food - in fact a famous 3rd century Imperial physician claimed this would lead to excessive weight gain. However, as tea's ability to aid in digestion and cleanse the palate became known, tea house proprietors began adding a variety of snacks, and the tradition of dim sum was born.