SINGAPORE is a country rich in diverse religions, culture, and traditions, living side-by-side with one another. If you are seeking a cultural experience in Singapore, don’t miss out visiting the many interesting places of worship and take the opportunity to learn the different religions practiced by the locals.
This month, we bring you to some of our favourite Chinese temples that you can experience while exploring Singapore!
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum (288 South Bridge Rd)
It’s hard to miss this lavish, richly red monument when you’re walking around Chinatown. The temple houses a relic said to be a tooth from Buddha and was built specifically for the veneration of the relic, promote Buddhist culture and education, and provide welfare services.
The Sacred Light Hall on the fourth floor contains the Buddha tooth relic housed within a stupa made from 420 kg of gold. Monks conduct daily services in the relic chamber, while visitors can view the relic chamber twice a day from the public viewing area.
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple (178 Waterloo St)
Built in 1884, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Singapore and a hallmark of late-19th-century Chinese temple courtyard architecture.
It is a popular place of worship for devotees of Guan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy.
The temple underwent alterations and additions in 1895, was demolished in the late 1970s, and was rebuilt to twice its former size in 1982.
Devotees usually visit the temple on the first and 15th days of the lunar calendar, but the temple’s most festive period is the eve of Chinese New Year when it is kept open all night long.
Thousands of devotees throng the temple to offer incense to the goddess of mercy for an auspicious start to the year.
Thian Hock Keng Temple (158 Telok Ayer St)
Designed and built in 1842 by skilled craftsmen from China, Thian Hock Keng is Singapore’s oldest Hokkien temple. Interestingly, not a single nail was used in the construction, and all the materials were imported from China.
The current temple sits on the site of an earlier prayer house built in 1824 dedicated to the goddess Ma Zu (or Tian Hou), protector of seafarers and navigators.
Chinese immigrants who had just arrived after a perilous journey across the turbulent sea would make thanksgiving offerings of money and joss-sticks at the prayer house for their safe sea voyage.
So if like us you are hungry for a cultural and historical adventure, be sure to make a visit to these and other places of worship when you are in Singapore!
