What does luxury artisan jewellery have to do with Nyonya dumplings? Plenty, when you’re located in the heritage neighbourhood of Joo Chiat.

That was exactly what the founder of eponymous jewellery store, Choo Yilin, thought about when she opened her outlet there in May last year.

With the support of Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Kickstart Fund, Choo has created a walking trail guide and map called The Secret Joo Chiat, which was launched earlier this week.

The guide is aimed at visitors who might be coming for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix season this month and who want to check out the neighbourhood’s best-kept secrets when it comes to food and shopping.

Along with the usual Joo Chiat suspects featured (such as Katong Antique House and Chin Mei Chin Confectionery) are smaller and newer businesses such as floral shop The Bloom Room, brass and silver jewellery makers Stale & Co and Malay-Muslim cake store Kak Wan’s Kitchen. In addition, a host of activities have been lined up, ranging from an afternoon of tea and tour at Kim Choo Kueh Chang to a watercolour painting lesson of objects such as Peranakan kuehs and shophouses.

“We’ve always felt that Joo Chiat is a hidden gem, offering experiences that could not be replicated in any part of the world,” explained Choo. “Holding this during the F1 season was a natural choice because of the increased footfall of cosmopolitan tourists. We wanted to demonstrate that Joo Chiat was as worthy a place for a visit as Orchard Road or Marina Bay Sands.

“We personally felt that if done right, Joo Chiat would offer an experience that was completely irreplaceable, even to the most cosmopolitan tourists, given the strong heritage influences of the neighbourhood.”

The STB’s Cultural Precincts Development director Kenneth Lim said Secret Joo Chiat “is in line with STB’s approach to Quality Tourism”, in which locals engage visitors and help shape the Singapore experience.

Similar initiatives supported by the STB include the heritage walking tours of Chinatown organised by the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee during key festivals such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn; and Artwalk Little India, a three-year public art project in collaboration with LASALLE College of the Arts that tells the precinct’s story through installations, films, music and other creative works.

“Travellers to Singapore are increasingly seeking in-depth experiences, including the exploration of our precincts that offer rich heritage and culture. We saw the development of a self-guided map as a good way to galvanise the businesses to come together in telling the unique story of Joo Chiat, which many visitors find fascinating,” added Lim.

“The additional tours, promotions and workshops held will help drive footfall to Joo Chiat and offer visitors a deeper appreciation of Singapore’s multicultural heritage.”

Celebrating Singapore, celebrating Joo Chiat

One common theme for the stores and eateries featured in The Secret Joo Chiat is the fact that these businesses have “one local heritage inspiration”. While it might be obvious for institutions such as popiah skin shop Kway Guan Huat or Peranakan museum The Intan, others take a subtler but no less Singaporean approach.

For example, at leather craft store J Myers Company, the owners work with leather supplied from a local tannery to support a fellow Singaporean business, while pet store Bubbly Petz stocks pet outfits designed and sewn in Singapore. Getting these businesses on board with the project also proved that the kampung spirit is very much alive in Joo Chiat.

“It actually wasn’t tough at all as the community here at Joo Chiat is incredibly supportive,” said Choo. “We’ve built friendships with the different vendors around the area during our time here, so they were really quite excited to be involved.”

What was most challenging instead was nailing the map of Joo Chiat. It was created from scratch using watercolour illustrations and contains details and anecdotes about each business. Choo and her team walked up and down Joo Chiat consistently to familiarise themselves with every turn and corner since June this year.

Choo declined to reveal the cost of the project, saying that she was glad to get The Secret Joo Chiat done with the STB’s backing.

And The Secret Joo Chiat doesn’t end when the chequered flag is waved at the F1. There are plans to do more during the Christmas period, including bringing a piece of Joo Chiat to town.

In the meantime, anyone can get a piece of Joo Chiat thanks to a digital version of the map, which is available for download on the Choo Yilin website. “Joo Chiat continues to surprise every day,” summed up Choo. “Those who have been living in the neighbourhood for over 20 years also tell us that they continuously discover fresh things ever so often.”