Symbols of Chinese culture, from temples to fried noodle stalls, are found throughout the Singapore - not surprising when 70% of the population is ethnic Chinese. While it might seem odd then to have a specific area called "Chinatown" here, it also makes sense: Singapore sees itself as an ultra-modern multicultural city-state informed by "Asian values", rather than specifically a Chinese city. Also, racial harmony among the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities is one of the government's fundamental policies.

One way to look at Singapore's Chinatown, then, is as a celebration of the original culture at the root of so much of Singapore. Chinatown preserves the traditional Chinese culture which is disappearing not only from Singapore but - given the ravages of 40 years of communism followed by 10 years of rampant consumerism - from the Chinese mainland as well.

The tea house is a perfect example. While American-style café's expand feverishly in China and are already dime-a-dozen in Singapore, Tea Chapter is a singular institution singularly devoted to the ancient art of drinking tea - an oasis on an island of machine-brewed corporate coffee.

Your waiter brings the tea in loose leaves (no teabags here!) along with an elaborate tea service consisting of a burner, water kettle, steeping kettle, tasting cups, drinking cups and various wooden implements for scooping and stirring the precious leaves. The waiter explains the entire brewing process, tells you precisely how many seconds to steep the leaves for the best flavor, and allows you the privilege of steeping the tea yourself.

Tea Chapter maintains traditions by importing all its teas directly from China, hosting Chinese calligraphy classes, selling tea and tea pots for home brewing and showcasing musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments. But, explains manager Isabella Chew, the tea house is interested in recreating not just the trappings of Chinese culture, but an atmosphere lacking in Singapore, (and endangered in mainland China as well); just taking the time to brew and enjoy a pot of tea.

This revolutionary concept has caught on: The place gets busy on weekends and evenings and two similar tea houses have sprung up. Weekday afternoons are best for those looking to sip their tea in relative quiet. Tea Chapter is located at 9 Neil Road and open 11 and 11 pm daily.

Drinking tea is pleasant, but many people wouldn't give up Chinese food for all the tea in China. Singapore's Chinatown boasts an especially cosmopolitan mix of Peranakan, fusion, and local Chinese cuisine, as well as Indian and Malay eateries. Perhaps the most traditional Chinese dining experience is at Xin Tao Yuan - just around the corner from Tea Chapter at 49 Tanjong Pagar Road.

Some Singaporeans, in fact, find it unfamiliar. Cold appetizers, for example, are popular in northern Chinese cuisine, but heretical to Singaporean Chinese, most of whom trace their heritage to southern provinces. Tina insists on maintaining the traditional flavors: "We want to educate Singaporeans into traditional Chinese cuisine," she says, "rather than adapt to local tastes, which people can find anywhere." Despite the nice décor, excellent food, loyal following and high profile clientele ("The Mexican ambassador was here yesterday and the day before," Tina notes proudly), prices at Xin Tao Yuan are quite reasonable - most main courses are between S$9 to S$14 (US$5 - 8).

For a dollop of Chinese Buddhism with your meal, enter Xin Min Vegetarian Restaurant, replete with lotus flowers, inspirational calligraphy, and a sound system which sometimes plays pop tunes rendered as traditional Buddhist hymns. But the real draw is the sumptuous vegetarian food served at very inexpensive prices - $6 - $8 per dish. Drawing on the Chinese tradition of mock meat, the Assam fish is fresh from the sea and the black pepper venison is both hearty and spicy. Xin Min is at 49 Kreta Ayer street, a few doors down from the Singapore Chinese Buddhist Association and not far from the Seah Clan Hall.

While Xin Min turns vegetables into animal parts, several Chinatown establishments turn animal parts into medicines. The granddaddy of these is Eu Yan Sang Medical Hall, located at 267 New Bridge Road in a lovingly restored building nearly a century old. The shop welcomes you with a ginseng drink, and the adventurous can enjoy samples of the more exotic wares available. Even if you decline the drink, you can enjoy the museum-like display of remedies - from highly prized ginseng roots to highly exotic dried scorpions.

Nearby Smith Street might just as well be called Medical Hall Row. Open air shops, serving herbal remedies for everything from high blood pressure to impotence, are crowded with customers looking over flecks of this and scraps of that as owners weigh out the portions in traditional handheld scales. Some shops also sell cups of herbals tea - the chrysanthemum-ginseng tea is very refreshing.

To mingle with true opera aficionados, come to the afternoon opera karaoke sessions. Just what it sounds, patrons mount the stage, microphone in hand, and sing the operas as lyrics are flashed across a screen showing costumed performers acting out the dramas. Unlike regular karaoke, this requires a certain dedication, which ensures a minimum level of quality. At 5 Smith Street, the Chinese Theatre Circle's cozy atmosphere and inexpensive snacks make a lovely and unique refreshment spot in the heart of Chinatown.

Singapore has done a remarkable job of emphasizing multiculturalism over ethnic rivalries, and no Singaporean leader of any race would label the city-state as Chinese. Nevertheless, many elements of Singapore, such as the Confucian education system or the feng-shui inspired dollar coin, point to a clear Chinese cultural heritage. For multicultural, non-sectarian Singapore, Chinatown is where that heritage can be most openly and authentically celebrated.