About Thian Hock Keng Temple
Thian Hock Keng Temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore. Managed by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (or Singapore Hokkien Association), the Thian Hock Keng Temple is located along Telok Ayer Street, between the Nagore Durgha Shrine and the Al-Abrar Mosque.
The Thian Hock Keng Temple was dedicated to the Taoist goddess Ma Cho Po, also called Matsu or the Mother of the Heavenly Sages. Matsu is the same deity A Ma which gave its name to Macau. The Ma Cho Po is the patron goddess of sailors, and temples dedicated to her is commonly found where there are new Chinese settlements. In Penang, for example, the Hainanese Temple, called Thean Hock Keong, is also dedicated to her. Followers pray to her for safe passages across the turbulent waters. This is especially relevant for the early settlers to Singapore, having newly arrived after an often turbulent journey across the South China Sea.
The history of Thian Hock Keng goes back to the founding days of Singapore. As early as 1821, there was already a small shrine for early immigrants arriving from China to pray to Matsu and thank her for the safe journey. A proper temple was only built in 1839, completed around 1842, through funds collected among the devotees, among them the Hokkien philanthropist Tan Tock Seng. The sum was $30,000, a huge amount allowing for the use of the finest materials and employing craftsmen from China.
When Thian Hock Keng Temple was first built, it was located within sight of the sea. Over the years, successive land reclamation has extended the shoreline outwards, so much that Thian Hock Keng Temple is now surrounded by land. The idea to reclaim Teluk Ayer Bay was first mentioned in 1863 when a group of businessmen including Whampoa sought permission from Governor Orfeur Cavenagh to reclaim the bay, build a seawall and warehouses, all at their own expenses. The permission was not granted, but in 1865, suggestions to reclaim the bay was put forward. This time the government set the idea into action.
Reclamation work of Telok Ayer Bay was carried out between 1878 and 1885. Mount Wallich and Mount Erskine, which stood next to the bay, were levelled, and the soil used to fill the bay. Robinson Road and Anson Road were built on the newly reclaimed land. Thian Hock Keng, which previously enjoyed a sea frontage, was now surrounded by land, with the shore a thousand feet away. Only the name of Telok Ayer Street, which means "Watery Bay" provides an indication that it was once near the sea.
The doors into the Thian Hock Keng Temple are embellished with ornate paintings of door gods, the sentinels into Taoist temples. These were all recently restored to their original splendor. The fiercesome door gods and beasts are intended to keep away evil spirits. The main shrine is dedicated to Matsu, while secondary shrines and pagodas on both sides are dedicated to various immortalized personalities, including Confucious, the Bodhisattva Sangharama, Governor Kai Zheng, Great Generals Da Er Ye Bai, and City Gods. This ecletic mixture of Taoism and Buddism in one place of worship is not unusual among the Chinese temples.
The Thian Hock Keng Temple, like so many architectural masterpieces, are built without a single nail used. The entire structure is supported on iron and wooden posts.
Comparison between the temples in Singapore and elsewhere in the region show much similarity. Another temple which was built for very much the same purpose as Thian Hock Keng is the Kong Hock Keong in Penang. It is also known in the vernacular Hokkien as the Kuan Yin Teng, or in English, Temple of the Goddess of Mercy. The A-Ma Temple in Macau is also similarly built to worship Matsu.
The Thian Hock Keng Temple was gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore on 6 July 1973. The restoration won an Honorary Mention in the 2001 Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation.
Getting there
The nearest MRT station is at Raffles Place (EW14 / NS26).
Thong Chai Medical Institution
Shopping in Chinatown
The following are places where you can do a bit of shopping. These include places where the locals shop for their local items, but it provides an interesting glimpse of life in Singapore.
Far East Square
People's Park Centre
People's Park Complex
Yue Hwa Emporium
Associated Sites
Thian Hock Keng Temple (old version)
Thian Hock Keng Temple (EarthDocumentary version)
Where to stay
There is a wide selection of accommodation providers in Singapore. They range from budget inns and guesthouses to luxurious boutique hotels and branded chains. Your choice is entirely dependent on your budget and level of comfort expected. For mainstream hotels, check out hotels in Singapore for the best online prices, sourced from all the major providers. For guesthouses and other budget providers, check out hostels in Singapore for those with online booking facilities.
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Entrance to the Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Thian Hock Keng Temple
Main shrine of the Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Side compound of the Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Image of Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara, or Multi-Limb Kuan Yin, at Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Image of Boddhisattva Sangharama, Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Image of Confucius, Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Image of Kai Zhang Sheng Wang, or Sacred Governor Kai Zhang, at Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Image of Cheng Huang (City Gods), Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Door gods, Thian Hock Keng Temple (8 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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