Geylang Serai, one of Singapore’s many eastern neighborhoods, is known for its amazing food, busy Malay markets, and nightlife — and next door, Geylang is one of the few places in the country where prostitution is legal. But this area is far more than a red light district. The National Heritage Board has developed the Geylang Serai Foot Trail, which leads walkers on a self-guided tour of the area’s many historical buildings and religious institutions. Here are the spots featured on the trail.

Former Geylang Fire Station

Sitting directly opposite a dense conglomeration of shopping malls and MRT stations, this is the second-oldest fire station in Singapore (the oldest is the Central, or Hill Street, Fire Station). Built in 1929, it served the eastern part of the island until 2002. The architecture reflects what you often see in large colonial Singapore buildings: a big hip roof with wide eaves, tall ceilings, and lots of windows. It’s been turned into an office building, though we saw no signs of life.

Former Queen’s Theatre

Built as the Wembley Cinema in 1930, this building ran as a movie theater from the 1930s all the way up to the early 1980s (with a brief hiatus when it was converted to a stage theater during World War II). Featuring largely Malay films — Geylang Serai has long been a center of Singapore’s Malay population — it was wildly popular in its heyday. It’s an interesting building, part neoclassical and part kampong style (you can’t see it, but the floor inside was raised in anticipation of flooding). Sadly, the building now houses a dim and uninspired mall.

Pre-War Double Storey Terrace Houses

I love a good shophouse, and this group on Lorong 34 Geylang hits the mark! They were built in the late shophouse style, which dominated Singapore’s residential building architecture from the early 1900s through the late 1930s. Ornamentation was at its height at this point, so you’ll find Peranakan tiles, traditional plasterwork, and all kinds of fancy embellishments. These are great examples of shophouses at their most decorative and architecturally exuberant, and I’m a fan.

Khadijah Mosque

Built in 1920 to serve Geylang Serai’s growing Malay community, green-and-white Masjid Khadijah still stands as one of Singapore’s oldest mosques. A beige annex and minaret were added in 2023.

The National Heritage Board’s website says that the architectural elements of the building were “influenced by the Nagore Shrine in Ajmeere, India,” but I’ve seen elsewhere that the architects were influenced by the Masjid Nabawi in Medina. Whatever the inspiration might have been, the original section is reminiscent of a number of other mosques from colonial Singapore.

Thong Kheng Charitable Institution

The Thong Kheng Charitable Institution looks like a typical Singaporean Buddhist temple inside, but it’s much more than that. Their mission is to carry out “the sacred instructions of Grand Master Song Dafeng,” and over the course of their 77 years in existence, the institution has started a school and a basketball team, offered free medical services, and started multiple senior activity centers.

Soon Thian Keing

If you look at the record books, Soon Thian Keing is supposedly the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore (though I’m pretty sure that Thian Hock Keng Temple would contest that claim). Established sometime in the early 1800s, the temple was originally situated roughly six kilometers to the west. But it’s moved twice, and the Geylang building itself opened only thirty years ago.

Nan Hai Fei Lai Guan Yin Monastery

This cheerful yellow building, dedicated to the Buddhist goddess Guan Yin, houses a monastery that’s been up and running since 1923. The monastery also runs a library with over 10,000 books on Buddhism directly across the street. Fun fact for those who don’t speak Chinese: the monastery’s name roughly translates to “the Goddess of Mercy who came from the South China Sea.”

Amitabha Buddhist Centre

This building looks really cool — how often do you see a red-faced Buddha atop a lintel? — but disappointingly, it was not open during its posted opening hours. So I can only report that it was founded by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition in 1989. If you stand out front, you can spin two sets of prayer wheels, above which is a note that says, “each turning of the prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting 306 million times of the ‘om mani padme hum’ mantra.” 306 million times is a lot!

Coronation Baptist Church

This church was founded in 1986 in Bukit Timah, and it moved to its current spot in Geylang in 1992. It was closed, so I can’t say much about it, except to note that (1) it offers services in both Mandarin and English and (2) it’s a fabulous shade of blue.

Former Eastern Aerated Water Company

I have no idea when the Eastern Aerated Water Company was founded, but I know that it moved to this spot in 1951. It’s a great, if modest, example of Singapore’s Art Deco architecture.

1920s Terrace Shophouses

Less elaborate than the shophouses on Lorong 34, the shophouses along Lorong 24A Geylang are still beautiful — and it’s easier to get up close to the decorative designs.

The tiled walkways on both sides of the street are especially great.

Singapore Buddhist Federation Building

This stop was extremely boring —the building was closed, and it’s not much to look at. I suppose it’s notable because it houses the entity that oversees all Buddhist monasteries in Singapore, and the organization has been around since 1949. But I’m personally not a fan of the 2009 architecture.

Char Yong (Dabu) Assocation

Last but far from least! One of the oldest Singaporean clan associations, the Char Yong Association brings together descendants from the Dabu region in Guangdong Province, China. And while the building, constructed in 2002, isn’t exactly much to look at from the outside, this was my favorite stop along the walk. That’s because we were given a personal tour of the seventh and eighth floor galleries that showcase the history and accomplishments of Dabu people and the association, which has been around since 1858.

This is a fascinating place — don’t miss my post on it here. If you want to visit the galleries, make sure to book ahead.

Reflections on the Geylang Serai Foot Trail

I loved walking through Geylang Serai. It’s filled with great buildings, and I stumbled on so many unexpected things, from LED funerary creations to colorful HDBs to fantastic dragon temples.

Then there’s this durian! There are a number of durian stalls in Geylang Serai, and this one is doing the best advertising.

Foot Trail Frustrations

This is a great heritage trail, but it feels like some major institutions are missing. I’m surprised that a foot trail in Geylang Serai, a historically Malay neighborhood, features only one mosque. Where is Masjid Wak Tanjong? Built in 1938, it has a rich and long history. What about Sri Sivan Temple, a Hindu temple that houses a Shiva lingam that’s been worshipped in Singapore since the first half of the nineteenth century? And how can anyone leave out Geylang Serai Market, one of the largest and busiest hawker centres and wet markets in Singapore? It’s been around since 1962. I would love to see places like these added to the list.

I’d also like to know how you make the cut for getting onto a heritage trail list. It seems odd that institutions less than forty years old receive heritage status. For example, relatively young institutions — like Coronation Baptist Church and Amitabha Buddhist Centre — made it onto the trail list, while some older entities did not.

So while I appreciated the trail, I wonder whether it’s as representative of Singapore’s heritage as it could be. I hope they consider making some additions someday! In the meantime, I’m looking forward to striking out on the Geylang Serai Food Trail, which should be a delicious (if impossibly filling) way to spend a day.

Exploring Singapore Heritage Beyond the Geylang Serai Foot Trail

If you enjoy historic rambles, my post on the Singapore River Walk offers another great look at the city’s early days.

For another National Heritage Board walk, check out my guide to the Walk of Faiths Trail in Little India.

Want the full tour of Singapore’s cultural heritage centres? You’ll find my overview post here.