Baba House

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Sight Address : Nearest station: Outram Park, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Baba House is a house, located at 157 Neil Road, in Singapore, showcasing Peranakan history, architecture and heritage. It is a traditional Peranakan pre-war terrace-house which formerly owned by 19th-century shipping tycoon Wee Bin who settled in Singapore, after arriving from the southern Chinese province of Fujian. The House is also an outpost of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum and co-managed by the NUS Centre for the Arts.The Baba House served as a contrast to the Peranakan Museum wing of Asian Civilizations Museum, as the House enable visitors to experience more intimately how typical Peranakan homes looked and functioned in the 1920s, a time when there were big shifts in Peranakan family structures and their fortunes in Singapore. Its showcase of furniture and items encouraged visitors to interact and touch, and even book the venue to host events as part of the experience-making process.Because of the limited space and the fragility of Peranakan wares, visits to the House are limited to small groups of 12 and by appointments only, so as to reduce impacts made in the House.

BaBa House

HistoryEdit

Built possibly in the 1860s, 157 Neil Road is a residential terrace house located in the Residential Historic District of Blair Plain. The house and the surrounding area was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, in 1991.In April 2005, a S$4 million donation was made to the National University of Singapore (NUS) by Ms Agnes Tan, the last surviving daughter of the founder of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the late Tun Tan Cheng Lock. This donation was given to the University to acquire Wee’s traditional Peranakan house along Neil Road, built circa 1860 on the land plot bought by Wee Bin in 1860. The house is currently owned and managed by Mr Wee Lin, the sixth-generation descendant of Wee Bin.Another donation of S$1.5 million was made to the University, for acquisition of two other shophouses along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca. These acquired houses will be restored and used for educating younger generations about Peranakan history, culture and architecture, while the two houses in Malacca to be used for study on conservation techniques of historical buildings. In gesture of appreciation for the donation, the University named the Singapore house as the Tan Cheng Lock Baba House.The House was officially opened by President of Singapore Mr S R Nathan on September 4, 2008 as the Baba House, and opened to the public on September 15, 2008. Staff and students from NUS’ School of Design and Architecture and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ South-east Asia Studies Programme were involved in the restoration, which has elaborate and intricately carved wooden windows, doors and partition screens. About 70 per cent of the furniture in the House belonged to the Wee estate, while the rest of the items were acquired from Peranakan families in Singapore and Malacca. The first two storeys of the House showcase the Peranakan domestic interior, while artists showcase modern interpretations of Peranakan culture through the exhibition gallery on the third storey. At the same time, the House will also be a venue for Peranakan culinary and craft workshops to be organized by the NUS Museum.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

By appointment only.

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

June to July and November to December.

Best Time To VisitEdit

N.A.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

N.A.

Ticket Required : Yes Edit

Individual National Adult : (Cost: Admission is free but heritage tour fee applies)$10 (adults), $8 (55 years and above)

Kids : (Cost: Admission is free but heritage tour fee applies)$10 (adults) $5 (18 years and below) and $3 (NUS students)

Individual Foreigner Adult : (Cost: Admission is free but heritage tour fee applies)$10 (adults) $10 (adults), $8 (55 years and above)

Kids : (Cost: Admission is free but heritage tour fee applies)$10 (adults) $5 (18 years and below) and $3 (NUS students)

Still Photo Camera : N.A.

Video Camera : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Peramakan ; 3 Bukit Chermin Rd Singapore 109923 ; Ph/M – 65 6377 2829 ; Food Serve – ayam buah keluak · peranakan food · the beef rendang · gula melaka · coconut milk

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are generally very hard to get during peak hours (Mon-Fri 7:00am – 9:30am and Mon-Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm) and on rainy days. If you are at a hotel, have conceirge call you a taxi. If you are out about town and have access to a cell phone- calling for a taxi will cut your wait time by 20 to 30 minutes. All taxis are fitted with meters; all are air conditioned; the majority of the taxis are 5-seaters; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch. All passengers must fasten their seat belts by law.
For taxi Booking fee is SGD $2.3. Minimum fare for taxi is SGD $3 for first 1Km. Fare above minimum fare until 10Km is SGD $0.55 per Km. Fare above 10Km is charge SGD $0.628 per Km. Taxi Waiting charges per hour is SGD $17.6. Peak Hours charges is diffrent.

Bus : Public buses run daily from 5.30am to midnight. Extended night services cost slightly more (a flat rate ranging from $1.50-$3.00). Otherwise, most fares depend on distance travelled and range from 67 cents to $1.58 for air-conditioned comfort (almost all public buses in Singapore have air-conditioning today). There are also “feeder” bus services that charge a flat rate of 67 cents. Each bus should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the bus stop.

Train : Singapore MRT system is very well connected to different parts of Singapore and very clean! If you have the time and plan to explore around little Sunny island, get the the Singapore Tourist Pass!
It runs 6am-12mn, fares start at S$1 (70cents in EZ link). Tickets can be purchased in all MRT stations. You just have to insert your money through the ticket machine. Rush hour’s usually 7am-9am, 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm.

Air : Changi Airport is the country’s main airport. From the airport there are a number of ways to get into the city:
Taxi is easiest – simply follow the signs after clearing customs. Meters are always used in Singapore and prices are reasonable. A trip to the city during the day will be between $20-$30 including $3-5 airport surcharge. An additional 50% surcharge applies between midnight and 06:00.
Limousines charge a flat $50 to anywhere in the city and are a pretty good deal after midnight, as you can skip the queue and avoid the surcharge. The same pricing applies to chartering van-sized MaxiCabs, which are good for large families or if you have lots of baggage.
Shuttle – Shared six-seater MaxiCab shuttle service to designated areas/hotels costs $7 and can be booked in advance or in the arrivals hall. 6AM-2AM, every 15-30 min.
Subway – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. The 30 min ride to City Hall station costs $1.90 plus a refundable $1 deposit, and trains run 05:31-23:18.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3. 06:00-23:59 only. Fares are less than $2.00, exact fare required (no change given) if you pay cash.

Others : N.A.