Thian Hock Keng Temple

Thian Hock Keng Temple which means Temple of Heavenly Happiness is one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore. It started out, between 1821 and 1822 as a prayer house located along the shoreline of the Telok Ayer Basin for the immigrants from China. It was dedicated to the goddess Ma Zu (or Tian Hou), protector of seafarers and navigators. It was customary for Chinese voyagers who had just completed their journey across the turbulent South China Sea to make offerings of money and joss-sticks as thanksgiving.

Due to the funding from wealthy merchants such as Tan Tock Seng, the temple went through an extensive reconstruction between 1839 and 1842 to transform the prayer house into the building it is now. As it was designed and built according to Chinese temple architectural traditions by skilled craftsmen from China, Thian Hock Keng Temple is the most traditionally authentic Chinese temple in Singapore. Not a single nail was used in the original structure.

The doors into the temple are embellished with ornate paintings of door gods, tigers, lions and dragons. These are intended to keep evil spirits at bay. The details of the temple’s history are recorded in granite tablets on the way inside the Entrance Hall. In 1907, as a symbol of the temple’s stature, Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu presented a plaque inscribed with the words Bo Jing Nan Ming (Gentle Waves over the South Sea).

The main shrine is dedicated to Ma Zu, while secondary shrines and pagodas on both sides are dedicated to various immortalised personalities, including Confucious, the Bodhisattva Sangharama, Governor Kai Zheng, Great Generals Da Er Ye Bai, and City Gods.

Even during the early days, because Hokkiens formed the majority dialect group, the temple’s influence went beyond the Hokkiens to include the whole Chinese community. For example, the temple and its leaders from the Hokkien Huay Kuan often played mediator when disputes between rival Chinese dialect groups occurred.

Since 1973, Thian Hock Keng Temple has been a national monument. Due to its massive conservation and restoration efforts, the temple received an honourable mention at the Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for cultural heritage conservation in 2001. Presently, Thian Hock Keng is managed by Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan and sees up to 500 visitors a day who worship, admire the rich architecture or appreciate the rich history left behind by the ancestors.

Website: http://www.thianhockkeng.com.sg/home.html
Location: 158 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068613
Getting there: Nearest MRT are Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place