Discover the best of the arts from the East and West. Which other city offers you, for instance, a choice of exciting entertainment from the unique sights and sounds of Chinese Opera, the stirring strains of its own Singapore Symphony Orchestra to the magnificent spectacle of a Broadway musical. Or a chance to savour contemporary ballet alfresco with your own picnic basket at the Fort Canning Green. Or have an unexpected encounter with beautiful sculptural treasures springing up in unusual spaces. Or the opportunity to visit a variety of established galleries to take home a 1,000 year old piece of Asian art.

As you set off on either of two main routes taking you through key places of interest, you will be amazed and enriched by the wide array of arts experiences that you can indulge in. So put on your walking shoes now and take this journey of discovery as you live it up in New Asia -Singapore.

Singapore's unique art forms are richly flavoured by the ethnic influences drawn from indigenous Malay  culture and the cultures of the Chinese and Indian migrants who moved to Singapore between the 14th to 19th century. Traditional forms have been preserved and new contemporary form are constantly evolving.

Together with a programme of international visual and performing events, local exhibitions and performances make up a rich and varied calendar of the arts to please all tastes. Small intimate shows by upcoming Asian artists compete for on with blockbuster exhibitions at the museums and with international auctions of art and antiquities.

Local and award-winning international plays in all languages are regularly staged. Dance from classical ballet to contemporary forms cross borders while music has a language entirely of its own which cuts across time and space in the City for the Arts, Singapore.

Open: 9am to 6pm (Tue to Sun, including public holidays); 9am to 9pm (Fri)
Admission: SGD 2 adults, SGD 1 children and seniors

As you exit the Museum, you may either cross the road to the Asian Civilisations Museum at  Armenian Street or make a quick detour to enjoy a moment of tranquillity in the historical site of Fort Canning.

Originally the highest point directly overlooking the sea, Fort Canning was the site of the residences of the Malay Sultans and later, the British governors. Walking up the steps outside the entrance of Fort Gate, you can see remnants of its past at the archaeological site and the grave of the last Sultan of  Singapore. Walk through the Fort Gate, climb the steps to the top of the green and look at the memorial stones all along the walls of the old Fort.

At the top, stands the Fort Canning Arts Centre, previously the arms store and barracks to the British and the Japanese during World War II, It's now home to TheatreWorks and Singapore Dance Theatre, two of Singapore's arts companies that are making an impact on the international arts scene with fresh and original productions.

Walk to Fort Canning Green. You will see Singapore sculptor Han Sai Por's Seed series commissioned for The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. Stroll out of the entrance on the left as you come down the green to ASEAN Sculpture Garden just outside the Park. These sculptures were specially commissioned from sculptors all were specially commissioned from sculptors all over ASEAN. Retrace your steps to the Singapore Philatelic Museum to continue with the walk.

Thematic displays on Chinese culture and civilisation take centrestage, along with the Peranakan or Straits Chinese exhibit. This showcase provides an insight distinctive blend of Malay and Chinese culture which developed when early Chinese intermarried with the Malays. Temporary exhibitions show - casing other civilisations are regularly held, including the Eternal Egypt: Treasures from the British Museum.

Look for an amusing set of bronze sculptures of an old man and his granddaughter on the street waving to the mother on the upper gallery. Taking the Past Forward by Singaporean sculptor Chern lian Shan depicts a little girl leading her grandfather to the ACM I for him to explain the ancestral cultures of Singaporeans to her. The sculpture of the cat on the step to the museum is  in memory of a cat that "adopted" the building and became the museum’s mascot.

Open: 9am to 6pm (Tue to Sun, including public holidays); 9am to 9pm (Fri)
Admission: SGD 3 adults, SGD 1.50 children and seniors

For a glimpse of works by young and established local artists and sculptors, walk into Art 2 Shop For Art. Pop into the Fat Frog Cafe, a shady courtyard cafe frequented by local, budding artists. The Garden on occasion holds flea markets, jamming sessions and exhibitions. On the outer back wall of The Substation, facing the car park, is a reproduction of a HMV billboard by young local artist, Alan Oei.

Make your way back to the front of The Substation. Walk left to the Museum Shop that carries a range of history-inspired souvenir items, with special emphasis on the Peranakan heritage.

Leave the Museum Shop by the side entrance. You will immediately notice the hawker centre, a 24-hour eatery where you can have a quick drink and sample local dishes like chicken rice, laksa(rice noodles in a coconut curry gravy with shrimp, egg and chicken as garnishing) or Indian food. Further on, you'll see the Singapore History Museum, a colonial building with green shutters.

Built in 1886 and formerly housing the Raffles Library and Museum, the Singapore History Museum portrays  the political and social history Singapore through 'The Singapore Story', a 3D visual display of Singapore's history from the colonial period to present day and other dioramas.

Look at the collection of watercolour drawings of flora and fauna of the Straits Settlements painted by one of the earliest British administrators William Farquhar. There is also the exquisite collection of jade carvings bequeathed by the Tiger Balm millionaires, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par. A must see is the Rumah Baba – a recreation of a traditional Peranakan or Straits Chinese home from its ancestral altar to bridal chamber.

Not for the fainthearted, ‘Tales of the Night’ is a thrilling evening tour organised on Fridays to offer a different view of the Museum at the risk of invoking spirits!

Outside the museum you’ll find Taichi Boxing Pair by renowned Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming. The sculpture captures the grace and physical discipline of the gentle form of taichi martial arts and the power of nature in human movement. Nearby is the Millennium Time Capsule, with the millennium clock on top of it. The Capsule contains objects that encapsulate 20th century Singapore and will be revealed in 2050.

On the pavement you'll spot  Ju Ming's The Living World, a vividly coloured sculpture in ceramic, bronze and stainless steel, depicting people in various postures. One of Singapore's favourite landmarks, there was public outcry when it was threatened with removal several years ago, and funds were raised to ensure that it will always have its place.

Open: 9am to 6pm (Tue to Sun, including public holidays); 9am to 9pm (Fri)
Admission: SGD 3 adults, SGD 1.50 children and seniors for museum only. SGD 4 adults, SGD 2 children and seniors for museum and 3-D show.

After crossing Stamford Road at the traffic light in front of the Singapore History Museum, look out for Endless Flow by Tan Teng Kee, a 6.4 metre-high abstract sculpture made from brass standing at the corner of Bras Basah Park on your left. Walk across the green on the right, to the junction of Waterloo Street and Bras Basah Road. Directly in front, you’ll see the Singapore Art Museum.

Today it contains the world's largest collection of contemporary Southeast Asian  paintings, installations and sculptures in its permanent collection of more than 5,500 pieces. It has also presented several important international blockbusters in its exhibition calendar, including Leonardo da Vinci: Artist-lnventor-Scientist  and Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Museum.

Upstairs, visit the exhibition rooms and the Auditorium which was converted from the former school chapel. The original stained glass window lost during World War II, has been replaced  by a modern installation by leading Filipino glass artist, Ramon Orlina.

Open: 9am to 6pm (Tue to Sun, including public); 9am to 9pm (Fri)
Admission: SGD 3 adults, SGD 1.50 children and seniors

As you leave the museum by the main entrance look out for  The Explorer by Ng Eng Teng, commissioned to commemorate  the millennium. Turn right at the traffic light into waterloo Street, home to many of Singapore’s most prolific arts companies.

Next door is the Young Musicians' Society or YMS Arts Centre, preserved with interiors redesigned to accommodate its offices and 200-seat auditorium. It is home to the Singapore 200-seat auditorium. It is home to the Singapore Youth Choir and chamber-sized recitals throughout the year. Further on is Dance Ensemble Singapore which has established a name for itself overseas for traditional and contemporary Chinese dance performances.

At the road junction is Sculpture Square. Created from an abandoned Peranakan church and an old budget hotel with a Gothic architecture, its regular activities are listed in most daily, papers. La Fete de Cuisinier, a restaurant that recreates the old world charm of New Orleans occupies the courtyard.

Although you’ve completed Rout 1, there’s a lot more to experience at CHIJMES and Raffles Hotel before you embark on Route 2.

Lovingly restored from a former Catholic convent and orphanage, the tall spire of the Gothic chapel invites people to contemplate a leisurely life after hours. Sip a cool cocktail in the evening while watching the shadows lengthen. Jazz music performances are staged regularly during weekends and the chapel with the stained glass windows is the venue for dinner theatre performances and chamber recitals. There is an array   of fine dining places and watering holes spilling  onto fountain courtyards. Walk to the the back where a range of arts and curios from the region are sold.

On the stretch of wall alongside Bras Basah Road is  Le Mur Lion (The Lion Wall in French) by French artist and designer Christophe Tissot. This longest wall mural in Singapore was presented to Singapore by Publicis Eureka in celebration of its coming of  age with 21 years in Singapore.

Walk to the entrance of the Hotel Arcade at North Bridge Road. On the second floor, you wil find a unique cluster of fine galleries offering both art and antiques from Asia. Plum Blossoms Gallery and  ArtFolio offer art lovers a substantial portfolio of established and emerging artists from both Singapore and the region. Look out for Evolution Prehistoric Art Gallery, which sells art created from ancient fossils more than a million years old.

Stroll into the Raffles Hotel Museum on the third floor and catch a glimpse of the life and times of the grand hotel.

Stop by at the Bar and Billiard Room for a Singapore Sling and a light dose of jazz in the evening.

Raffles Place, is the home of Singapore's banking corporations. In front of the OUB Centre, look for Aw Tee Hong's Struggle for Survival in the shape of a boat. In Progress & Advancement by Yang Ying-Feng, try to spot a miniature of another sculpture. Follow the grain of traffic and walk down Chulia Street. A huge figure, Reclining Figure by the British sculptor Henry Moore graces the front of OCBC Centre.

You may choose to venture further down the road to Pidemco Centre to see  Chern Lian Shan's Rainbow. Retrace your steps to OUB centre, cross Chulia street at the traffic light and walk to UOB Plaza. At the atrium of UOB Plaza is a bronze sculpture, Homage to Newton by the master of the surreal, Spanish artist Salvador Dali. It was placed at this spot to create balance and harmony in business. By the river, the sculpture of a giant Bird by Fernando Botero is believed to Bring luck to the bank. Just Beyond UOB Plaza, look out for the rows of colourful thematic restaurants facing the river at Boat quay housed in former shop-houses. From UOB Plaza, walk to your right, pass the Standard Chartered Building to The Fullerton Hotel.

The hotel carries a fine collection of artworks by various regional artists. Look for the Yellow Series and Shimmering Light by Choy Weng Yang which captures aspects of old colonial government buildings such as the Hill Street Police Station ant Victoria Theatre. Other works featured in the hotel include The Fan Fern Series 2000, by Singapore- born artist Jolly Koh and The Formation 2000, Yellow Lotus I & II, Blue Lotus I & II and A Few Lotus Leaves I to IV by Wong Keen.

Located on the first floor, you will also find the offices of Ravenel Art Group, an art dealer- ship specialising in fine Western and Chinese masterpieces. It serves as a bridge between Western and Chinese art by promoting Western art to Asia and Asian artists to the West.

Dine at the relaxing Town Restaurant fronting the Singapore River and watch the bumboats chug up and down the river.

Exit the hotel using the lobby entrance and before you, stands one of the oldest existing bridges in Singapore, Cavenagh Bridge.

On the right of the bridge, look out for Cheong’s First Generation, capturing in bronze the sheer delight of a laughing  group of little boys hurling themselves into the river.

Those who love cats will enjoy sculpture depicting a family of kucinta cats, or Singapore river cats on the left of the bridge. Recognised as a breed unique to Singapore and as one of the world’s smallest breeds, the kucinta cat is also known as the love cat.

Cross Cavenagh Bridge and you’ll notice ahead the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place (ACM II).

Scheduled to open in February 2003, ACM II is housed in former offices of both the British and local government. Antiquities and arts from the great civilisations of China, India and Southeast Asia as ethnographic treasures from the tribal cultures of the region will feature in both permanent and thematic exhibitions.

Standing before the two buildings, is the original bronze statue of the founder of modern, Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (1781-1826) by Thomas Woolner.

Walk forward pass the obelisk commemorating the death of Marquis of Dalhousie towards Anderson Bridge. Take the underpass to Esplanade Park. Walk through Esplanade Park to the traffic junction. You will pass the Lim Bo Seng Memorial in memory of the Singapore war hero and Tan Kim Seng Memorial Fountain in memory of the leading trader and philanthropist. Cross the traffic light at Esplanade Drive. Proceed directly to The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Continue walking along High Street all the way to Hill Street. Cross at the Traffic lights along Hill Street to MITA Building on the left.

MITA or Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts and its agencies such as the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board are housed in the former Hill Street Police Station, restored and sporting brightly painted shutters which are in colour tones very used in Asian art.

At the main entrance of the junction of Hill Street and River Valley Road, look for Korean sculptor Oh Sang-Wook's Negative Mass, Harmony of the Generations depicting a crowd of people. Within the entrance courtyard is Big Bang, a sculpture of copper, resin and bronze, by established Singapore-based Irish sculptor Brother Joseph McNally, alluding to the creation of the universe. The ARTrium@MITA is graced by more sculptures and is the venue for arts events such as exhibitions and smaller concerts.

Fringing the ARTrium@MITA are six leading galleries, selling a variety of different styles and forms. Plum Blossoms and Art-2 represent a range of Singaporean artists, as well as artists from the region. Gajah Gallery has an interesting selection from Vietnam, Indonesia and India, while Soobin Gallery focuses on the works of contemporary Chinese artists. Orchard Gallery and Galerie Belvedere offer a selection of both Asian and European artists.

You’ve come to the end of Rout 2. For more arts experiences, explore the Other Interesting Detours.

Converted from a disused warehouse and part of the Robertson Walk complex at Unity Street, DBS Arts Centre next to Riverside View, is home to the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT). SRT has established its name by staging plays such as They’re Playing Our Song, Art, David Henry Hwang's The golden Child and working with well-known international Asian stars alongside Singapore's best professionals.

Robertson Walk hosts a fountain courtyard with several fine restaurants and lounges around it.

Further up the riverfront, in another refurbished warehouse is the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI). This independent non-profit organisation focuses on the creation of outstanding print works by international Asian and Western artists and the development, promotion of publishing and exhibition programmes for them as well as other solo works. Established by world-renowned print- maker and publisher, Kenneth E Tyler the complex features a paper mill, an international gallery and an educational facility.

Walk through the Quayside foyer and you’ll come to the Gallery hotel designed by three of Singapore's leading architects. With coloured squares framing the walls, this is a piece of modern art in itself. It has a strong interest in the arts and accommodates an art gallery for a series of exhibitions and art shows, one of the most notable being a changing series entitled Art in Alternative Spaces, by LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts.

Walk pass the entrance of Suntec City Mall to the junction of Temasek Boulevard and Raffles Boulevard. Beside the slip-road is Abundance by Sun Yu-Li, an unusual optical work which seems to change shape as one moves past it.

Enter the Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre, and make your way to the lower level of Suntec City Mall fringed with restaurants.

Get to the central Fountain of Wealth by Calvin Tsao and Zack Mckown through five different accesses. This huge suspended circle of the largest fountain in the world suggests completion of cycles of growth and prosperity. Climb up one of the winding staircases and on the encircling walkway is Twelve Medallions by Singaporean Han Sai Por, each one representing a different animal of the Chinese zodiac. Climb back down the winding staircase at the snake zodiac and take the exit to the underpass in front, to Centennial Tower and  Millenia Tower. At the top of the escalator, turn right, then left and cross over to the entrance of  the Conrad International Hotel. At the driveway, you’ll see Harmony, mounted on the wall facing the entrance, by Richard Sparling. Facing the entrance, turn right and walk to Monument square fringed by the Conrad International and Millenia Walk where you will see Soaring Helix by Philip Johnson, a sculpture which seems to turn as you move past it. Go through Millenia walk to the exit to Sculpture Plaza. Look for Roy Lichtenstein’s Six Brushstrokes, literally sculptures depicting giant happy brush strokes. Inside Millenia Tower on the right, look for a group of media artworks by American artist Frank Stella. These artworks are part of the Pontiac Marina Land Collection.

Replace your steps to Millenia Walk, and exit through the entrance next to DFS Galleria. Walk along Raffles Boulevard against the flow of traffic until you reach Pan Pacific Hotel on the right. In front of the hotel stands Lin Emery's Deva, a graceful stainless steel kinetic sculpture that turns like a windmill. Cross over to Marina Square using the escalator next to the hotel. Along the Marina Square aerial bridge, look out for Continuum, at the terrace garden area near the Marina Food Centre. This bronze sculpture by Charles Perry is  full of flowing, undulating curves and circular shapes. Walk through Marina Square on the same level to the exhibition area. To get to Antoine Poncet's Fleur Marine or "Flower of the Sea" (in front of Oriental Singapore), head left towards the Marina leisureplex Food Court and follow directional signs to The Oriental Singapore. The organic shaped bronze sculpture within a fountain represents a coral or a sea creature. Retrace your steps to the exhibition area of Marina Square and look for an exit to Raffles Avenue in the middle of the shopping centre (on the left of MacDonald's fastfood restaurant). This exit brings you to a foyer facing the sea. At the foyer, turn right and walk towards a spiral staircase where you will see John Portman and Associates of Atlanta USA's Octopus, mounted in the centre of a circular staircase with cascading waters as its "tentacles". Retrace your steps to the middle of the shopping centre and follow directional signs for Marina Mandarin. At its entrance facing The Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, you’ll see Between Sea & Sky. This abstract sculpture by Olivier Strebelle represents metamorphosis, progress and triumph.

Begin in front of The Regent Singapore where Stephanie Scuris' Harmony, a stainless steel shell-like sculpture graces the entrance. Facing sculpture, walk up Tomlinson Road and turn onto Orchard Boulevard. Continue onto Four Seasons Hotel where you'll see  Sun Yu-li’s Vitality. This leaf-shaped sculpture symbolises the endless cycle of growth. Continue along Orchard Boulevard, turn left into Anguillia Park and on the left of the traffic light, in front of the Far East Shopping Centre sits the sculpture Mother & Child by Ng Eng Teng. The sculpture of a woman in a sarong (Malay cloth wrap) carrying a child depicts the close bondage of a mother and child. Cross the Angullia Park and continue onto the Orchard MRT Station.

Inside, you will see Flowers in Bloom by Tay Chee Toh, a mobile, joyful art piece suspended from the ceiling and Han Sai Por's Happy Princess, a simplified and abstract style marble sculpture near the station control. Exit Orchard MRT station to street level via the Orchard Road (Wisma Atria) exit and walk towards Ngee Ann City. In front of Ngee Ann City are Harmony I & II by Liu Ji Lin stylised female forms dancing in joy and celebration on either side of the fountain. Across the road you'll spot larger-than-life copper-green sculptures  Celebration, Endearment, Courtship, Development, Friendship & Relaxation by Sun Yu-Li in front of Paragon Shopping Centre. These works were inspired by prehistoric cave paintings depicting life almost 20,000 years ago. The human from is depicted as silhouettes with narrow waists, arms and powerful striding legs. Continue walking along the same side of Orchard Road towards Somerset MRT Station where you will find Chong Fah Choong's Temu-sek, an intricate marble sculpture resembling a lion and a dragon, directly in front of the station entrance (Orchard Road). For the last stop on this route, take the MRT to Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station. Exit the station and head towards park Mall along penang Road. In front of Park Mall, you will find another Sun Yu-Li's sculpture, Dancer, a swaying, spiral form resembling the swirling skirt, and some 200 metres away near the taxi stand, a blue squarish sculpture, Robert Indiana’s Love. The image is a decorative device with the tilted letter ‘o’ to create a sense of movement and an are of interest.