The Chinatown of today is the result of several government efforts. When urban renewal was carried out here decades ago, the place underwent a transformation from a noisy residential and lifestyle area to a far cleaner and quieter tourist attraction. Today, Chinatown is home to unusual structures and businesses not commonly seen around Singapore - Victorian 'painted lady'-style architecture in the form of old shophouses which have undergone several repaintings, street food boasting to be the best in the country on Chinatown Food Street, Chinese souvenirs like chopsticks, imitation antiques and calligraphy stamps.
Today, if you walk the streets of Chinatown, you'll observe a very different sight from if you did so back in the 1800s. The streets are far quieter, mostly comprising curious tourists of all ethnicities wondering at the souvenirs sold or simply snapping pictures of every last interesting structure. During the Chinese New Year season, however, the streets liven up a fair bit - locals finally visit the place to do some last-minute shopping for the festive season, along with many vendors peddling Chinese New Year goods.
Today, Chinatown obviously isn't the same. From a place the Chinese considered integral to their survival, it has become a tourist district and a shopping district during the festive season - maybe sometimes a faint reminder of Singapore's old Chinese culture, glorious or not.
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