Chijmes Historical Tour

Before settling down for an evening of dinner and dance at Chijmes, take a closer look at the compund's fascinating history. The Chijmes compound this year celebrates its 150-year anniversary since being established as an orphanage and a girl's convent school. Originally the school was named the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, and the tour will take you through the school’s history and give you a valuable insight into how the modern city of Singapore began. The tour begins The tour starts at the beautiful Chijmes Hall Chapel. Completed in 1903, today it has been lovingly restored and is used for functions and weddings. The tour then winds its way around the Chijmes complex, visiting the old convent school’s classrooms, dormitories and orphanage. Today, those buildings are preserved in their original state, with new tenants such as shops, restaurants and bars – but you can tell the spirits are still there, watching over their old home. Two places of interest on the tour are the “Gate of Hope” and Chijmes’ very own “Holy Ground”. The Gate of Hope’s true history is nothing short of story-book drama. The door was known in Singapore as the place where abandoned babies could be left for the orphanage to take in. The Gate of Hope. No matter what race or religion, the nuns that ran the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus would take any child in if it was left at this door. This kindness was not lost on the other religions of Singapore, and Buddhists especially gave generously to the building funds of the orphanage whenever it was necessary. Another stop on the tour is the area known as the “Holy Ground” of Chijmes. It is so-called because when restoration to the compound was done in the 1990s, holy relics were found buried there. One piece that was uncovered was a 200-year-old crucifix. It is thought that these pieces were buried during the Japanese Occupation so they wouldn’t fall into enemy hands. Of course there are plenty of other sights around Chijmes that the tour takes in and we wouldn’t want to ruin the ending! Take the tour The Chijmes Service Centre runs the 40-minute tours of Chijmes, Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm. Price: $6 (includes afternoon tea). Reservations: Advance booking is recommended and can be made by calling the Service Centre on +65 6338 2529. More information: See The Secret Of Chijmes story in the features section.