Singapore, an island city-state off southern Malaysia, is a global financial center with a tropical climate and multicultural population. Its colonial core centers on the Padang, a cricket field since the 1830s and now flanked by grand buildings such as City Hall, with its 18 Corinthian columns. In Singapore’s circa-1820 Chinatown stands the red-and-gold Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, said to house one of Buddha’s teeth.
Other notable religious buildings include tranquil Lian Shan Shuang Lin Buddhist monastery, colourful Sri Mariamman Hindu temple and the massive Sultan Mosque. The neoclassical National Museum of Singapore contains exhibits on the city’s history and culture. There’s shopping at the giant malls on Orchard Road and stylish boutiques in Kampong