Armenian Church

Completed in 1835, it is the oldest church in Singapore and was gazetted a national monument in 1973; George Coleman designed the white, circular-plan building, and the spire came later. Stepping onto the grounds costs nothing, and the reason most people come is the memorial garden at the back, where tombstones were relocated from a cleared cemetery — among them Agnes Joaquim, who bred the orchid hybrid that became the national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim. The separate Armenian Heritage Gallery inside is another matter: it is currently open by appointment only while the adjacent community centre is finished, so email ahead if that is what you want to see.

It is directly across Armenian Street from the Peranakan Museum, so the two pair naturally in one walk. It is a roughly five-minute walk from City Hall MRT (take the exit towards Hill Street/Coleman Street and head up past the old Hill Street Police Station), and the quietest, coolest time to read the garden tombstones is early morning before the civic-district tour groups reach it.

Do not turn up expecting to walk into the Heritage Gallery — during the community-centre construction it runs by appointment only, and you arrange a private tour by emailing [email protected] first. The free draw that needs no booking is the memorial garden: it is the resting place of Agnes Joaquim, whose orchid became Singapore's national flower, a connection most visitors miss entirely.