This is not China, but the official language is Chinese!

I believe many people have had this experience: although tired of group tours, outbound free travel is difficult to embark on for various reasons. Among the many reasons hindering free travel, the most common and primary factor is the language barrier. But don't worry—on the other side of the South China Sea, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, there is a country that has listed Chinese as one of its official languages. Here, even speaking only Chinese, you can easily travel across the country~

Undoubtedly, this country is Singapore.

Singapore's multicultural heritage runs deep, with 70% of its local residents being of Chinese descent. As a major port city for East-West trade, Chinese merchant ships have been stopping here for rest and trading with merchants from various countries passing through the Strait of Malacca since the Yuan Dynasty.

In early times, people from China's southern coastal regions chose to follow merchant fleets to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) to work and do business, with many settling down here, dedicating their youth and sweat.

Most early Chinese immigrants in Singapore came from places like Guangzhou and Fujian, leaving a strong Lingnan (Guangdong and Guangxi) imprint on Singapore's Chinese architecture, culture, religious beliefs, and cuisine.

Hainanese who migrated to Nanyang combined their hometown cooking techniques with local spices, creating the Hainanese chicken rice that conquers the taste buds of people worldwide.

In the last century, Singapore's infrastructure was rudimentary. To meet daily needs, the Chinese community had to transport water by bullock carts every day. Therefore, the Chinese enclave in Singapore is not called Chinatown as in other countries, but rather "Niú Chē Shuǐ" (Bullock Cart Water).

The architectural style of Niú Chē Shuǐ is unique, bearing the history of early Chinese immigrants' hard struggles and filled with special architectural beauty. It is a must-visit and photo spot when coming to Singapore.

In the Niú Chē Shuǐ pedestrian street, you can easily find a statue of a female construction worker wearing a rectangular headscarf. These female construction workers were the backbone of Singapore's early construction industry. Most of them came from Sanshui, China, crossing the ocean to work diligently in Nanyang. While supporting their families back home, they also built, brick by brick, the early Niú Chē Shuǐ architectural complex we see today.

The bright red square scarves wrapped around their heads to shield from the scorching sun became their trademark, earning them the name "Red Headscarves." In Madame Tussauds Singapore, you can still see their figures.

Singapore's Chinese have always maintained close ties with China. Dr. Sun Yat-sen once lived in Singapore for a period. The house he lived in, Wan Qing Yuan, has long been preserved and is now the Sun Yat-sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, commemorating the great man's time in Singapore.

Singapore's position as an important trade port since ancient times has given it a diverse ethnic composition. To ensure peace and stability, racial equality and harmony have been the most important fundamental policies since the country's founding.

Therefore, Singapore has established four official languages: English, and the mother tongues of its three main ethnic groups—Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. At the same time, it implements a bilingual education model of "English + Mother Tongue." In Singapore, signs on streets and alleys are all marked with Chinese, and most people with Chinese faces can communicate fluently in Chinese.

For those interested in Singapore's history, you can also choose to join a Singapore cycling history exploration tour when visiting, cycling through the most historically rich central areas of Singapore. While enjoying the scenery, listen to the guide recount the stories of the Lion City. Beyond eating and shopping, such an itinerary will truly immerse you in the local culture.

So, pack your backpack with Little Travel City (Xiǎo Lǚ Chéng), invite your friends, and no longer worry about language barriers.

On this foreign land, explore the unknown world in Chinese.