Hollywood's 'Crazy Rich Asians' was one of North America's highest-grossing romantic comedies, and introduced the culture and city life of Singapore to the West. One of the most memorable features of the film were its colorful sets and historic filming locations, and fans immediately began flocking to the Lion City to see the heritage shophouses, colonial hotels and other iconic landmarks throughout the island. Plan your own Crazy Rich filming locations tour with these eight real life locales in Singapore.
Raffles Hotel
A National Monument, the historic Raffles Hotel dates back to Singapore's colonial era, when the island was annexed by the British. The hotel was a private beach house before becoming an upscale boutique hotel, and later expanding to its current size and design by 1899. So it's no wonder that for their summer holiday, the accommodation Nick and Rachel check into is none other than the luxurious Raffles Hotel.
Newton Food Center
Although the book mentioned Lau Pa Sat, Newton Food Center was finally chosen for the movie's hawker center shots because of its lighting and clustered layout. The center is conveniently located and popular with visitors to Singapore, so it's a good introduction to the hawker center food scene. A few of Newton Food Center's stalls are open at lunch, but just like in the movie, it gets busiest at night.
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands is one of the top destinations in Singapore and one of the country's most iconic landmarks. Crazy Rich featured the hotel's pool deck in the opening and closing scenes, first for the beginning of Radio One Asia's gossip storm and then for Nick and Rachel's engagement party and the movie's spectacular finale. The hotel's infinity pool is for staying guests only, but anyone can check out the restaurants or Skypark on the 57th floor.
Gardens by the Bay
Colin and Araminta's wedding reception was filmed at the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. Far from being just 'futuristic-looking trees', the grove actually performs vital functions for the gardens, including collecting solar energy to power the lights, gathering rainwater to fill the water features and housings a rich variety of living flora along the trunks.
CHIJMES Hall
This private venue was transformed into the fictional First Methodist Cathedral for Colin and Araminta's tear-jerking wedding scene. Outside of the chapel, CHIJMES (pronounced 'chimes') is a large commercial complex near Raffles Hotel, full of bars, restaurants and cafes. In the past, this heritage building was the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Girls School, and the school's former chapel where the Crazy Rich wedding scene was filmed is now used as a private party venue.
Bukit Pasoh Road
This colorful street of heritage shops and clubhouses in Singapore's Chinatown is where Rachel and Peik Lin have a heart to heart over an alfresco lunch, in a bit some fans have dubbed 'the bock bock bitch scene'. To be more precise, the pair were sitting at the outdoor counter at Humpback during the day, but this neighborhood really comes alive at night.
Ann Siang Hill
Not far from Bukit Pasoh Road, Eleanor Young strolls along the stylish Ann Siang Hill on her way to meet Rachel for their emotional Mahjhong match (the mahjong scene itself was actually filmed in Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, a historic hotel in Penang, Malaysia). Ann Siang Hill is lined with tiny, century-old shophouses that have been converted into cafes, bars and restaurants. The checker-tiled wall Eleanor marches past is the outer facade of one of those converted shops, now a bar and grill called Backbenchers.
Esplanade Park
The waterfront area of Esplanade Park is where Nick and Rachel finally meet after their breakup, and Nick proposes for the first time. The geometric docks are on Queen Elizabeth Walk near the Lim Bo Seng Memorial. Esplanade Park is one of the oldest public parks in Singapore, and is mainly popular with joggers in the evening and locals out for a stroll during the day.
In Conclusion
The exotic sets and filming locations of the Crazy Rich Asians movie were one of the reasons the movie was such a hit with Western audiences. They showcased the culture and history of Singapore and brought this underrated travel destination back into the spotlight. Embark on your own crazy rich movie tour of Singapore with these eight precise filming locations.