Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore » 5. Hokkien Architecture

This was the oldest Topekong Temple in Singapore. Built in 1824, 25 years after the oldest Topekong Temple in Malaysia, the Tanjong Tokong Tua Pek Kong Temple. The siting of the temple did not quite follow the conventional fengshui instructions of a master, but rather, a more colourful tradition of spirit worship (nonetheless, fengshui was good as the temple was facing the sea and backed by hills in the early days). The tale goes that in about 1820, a corpse floated on the banks of the present site of the temple. A joss house emerged gradually as more and more people paid respects to the deceased elder. In folk Chinese beliefs, the spirit will wreak havoc if not appeased by joss and other offerings. In return, favours can be asked from the spirits. Perhaps the numerous prayers from sinkehs of Hakka and Cantonese origins did get answered and a proper temple was duly erected by 1824 (incidentally, the second oldest Topekong temple in Singapore, Palmer road Topekong Temple, shared a similar founding story at the same period). The local name for the temple was extremely poetic – it was known as the ‘Lips-of-the-Sea’ temple. Architectural wise, the temple has a Cantonese temple layout with two tiers of entrance doors. In the past, the inner doors will be closed except on festive occasions as these doors were meant for the spirit diety and not for people like us. The granite columns were of Cantonese origins. Due to its popularity, even Hokkiens contributed to the temple (which is strange as immigrants from Guangzhou and those from Fookien were in intense rivalry) .The expansion of the temple in 1869 was attributed to Cheang Hong Lim , a Hokkien tychoon). The beautiful Hokkien timber trusses and the gently sloping roof profile was the result of this expansion, although the roof decoration is distinctly Teochew in nature. The lips of the sea have receded far from the temple now and in place of the image of Tua Pek Kong is a model of a Chinese junk. This temple has been converted into a street museum cum teahouse. Who would have known that this used to be the oldest Tua Pek Kong Temple in Singapore ? Perhaps its better to erase our coolie past, its got no value in a meritocratic society.

For more information on the origins of Tua Pek Kong worship (in Chinese), see http://www.chinapress.com.my/topic/series/default01.asp?sec=belief&art=0926belief.txt http://www.sinorama.com.tw/ch/1999/199904/804116c1.html

3. Soon Thian Keng, 1821, demolished

kentneo — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 06:15:00 +0000

For more info of the relocated temple in Geylang, see http://travel.zaobao.com/spore/pages/food030700.html (in Chinese)

6. Hang San Teng, 1828, destroyed by fire

kentneo — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 15:42:00 +0000

Founding dialect group – Hokkien; Main diety – Tua Pek Kong; status – destroyed by fire

This was a cemetery temple for the Hokkien community built by the wealthiest Hokkien leader then – Mr Seah Hood Ki. Malaccan-born, Seah was a pioneering leader of the Hokkien community in Singapore. He was also a predecessor of Tan Tock Seng and Tan Kim Seng. Not only was he a major contributor to this temple and Thian Hock Keng, he was also a president of Cheng Hoon Teng in Malacca in his later years. The main diety of this temple was Tua Pek Kong. To his right stood the City-god diety and to his left was the Goddess of birth. In those days when there were no such thing as KK hospital, people(mostly women folk) will pray to the Goddess of birth in fertility matters. It would the third oldest Tua Pek Kong Temple if it were still standing today. In one of the granite tablets which was also destroyed by fire in the 90’s, a total of 108 donors were recorded. The number 108 strongly suggests an underlying clandestine nature of the founding members. Were they anti-Qing or just another secret-society, nobody knows. I have visited this temple in the 80’s when it was already in a derelict state. The timber details were simple, robust and somewhat reminded me of Cheng Hoon Teng. The dieties were all recessed behind a secondary timber-framed wall fashioned in a form of traditional folding doors. I was shocked to recieve the news in 1985 when it was besieged by fire. Some say the gods were angry as the temple had become so decrepit that they would rather raze it to the grounds. The site now is an empty plot of turfed ground, like any other grassy patch you would see in Singapore. Buildings, fashion and people in Singapore comes and goes, nobody gives a damn.
- Kent Neo

I believe it was the oldest (along with Wak Hai Cheng Beo) as it was there when Raffles arrived. It was built and lived in by the keeper who looked after the thousands of graves on the Hill of Teng – that the British exhumed to build the General Hospital. One of the Temple Keepers 100 years ago was carried off by a tiger!In their front courtyard they had two very rare Dragon Claw Trees – greenish-yellow flowers with curly petals a bit like orchid that looked like Dragon Claw – very good Feng Shui – but obviously not good enough to allow the temple to burn down!
-Geraldene Lowe

Went to Bollywood Veggies with Geraldene today and guess what? I’ve finally seen the legendary Dragon Claw tree! According to my mum, in her kampong days, the fragrant flowers were offerings for dieties.
-Kent , 27 Nov 2005

Found another Dragon Claw tree at Kuan Yin San Temple along Dunearn Road, looks like a Cantonese Buddhist temple less than a 100yrs, anyone know more about this temple can leave your comments here . Kent – 20 Oct 2007

7. Hong San See, 1836, conservation in progress

kentneo — Sun, 02 Oct 2005 00:15:00 +0000

8. Kim Lan Beo, 1839, demolished & relocated

kentneo — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 05:39:00 +0000

Founding dialect group – Hokkien (Quanzhou, Yongchoon); Main diety – Qing Shui Zhu Shi ; status – relocated & rebuilt

This temple has got an interesting beginning – it was the gathering place of a secret society known as the ‘Choo Soo Kong Hoe’. The brotherhood of society members can be seen by the titles of the donors inscribed in the original stone tablets now rehoused in the rebuilt temple at Kim Tian Road. Titles of ‘gor’ and ‘hup’ were titles frequently used in secret societies then. In fact, the name of the temple itself suggests a place where ‘brotherhood’ were sworn in. ‘Kim Lan’ are two words that originate from the famous ‘ I-ching ‘. ‘Kim’ stands for gold,while ‘Lan’ stands for orchid. In the parable in ‘I-ching’ about the virtues of friendship, it goes something like this – ‘….when two hearts are one, they are strong enough to break gold; the words from two hearts in unison are like the fragrance of orchids’.
My paternal grandfather’s ancestral tablet is kept in the new temple according to my dad.

9. Thian Hock Keng, 1842, conserved

kentneo — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 07:58:00 +0000

11. Rochore Toa Kong Beo, 1847, needs conservation

kentneo — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:38:00 +0000

12. Qing Yuen Zhen Zun Miao, 1849, demolished

kentneo — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:16:00 +0000

13. Chwee Eng Chinese School, 1854, conserved

kentneo — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:34:00 +0000