There is a free tour every weekday at 14.00 starting from China Heritage Centre on Pagoda Street.
It will give you an idea about the history of Chinese settlement, informative guide will explain a bit about architecture, temples, food and people.

Then enjoy exploring by yourself.

We love going down to Chinatown on Friday nights for seafood and beers. Food is good, beer is cheap and the people watching tops everything off.

China town holds so much of Singapore's history
The dreams of so many Chinese for a better life. Today you have the open markets but the old buildings remain. Take a guided tour if you want to learn more about the temples and the buildings.

You could probably find whatever you're looking for in here if you're a tourist. Some of the streets are full of shop houses, but then you also have a few shopping complexes as well. There are also a few "night market"ish streets as well with a few restaurants and lots of tourist offerings to top it all off.

Good for an hour or so of wandering around and picking up some souvenir. Be sure to visit the Sri Mariamman Temple while you're at it (not much to see, but the entryway is nice)