Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Kong Meng San was founded in 1921 and has grown into the largest monastery in Singapore, some nineteen hectares of halls, pagodas, gardens and a columbarium built up over a century in a mix of Chinese architectural periods. The Hall of Great Compassion holds a large Guanyin, the Hall of No Form a reclining Buddha, and a nine-storey pagoda stands over the complex. It is a working monastery with a large columbarium, so much of the traffic is families visiting ancestors.

What you actually see

• The nine-storey pagoda - the tower standing over the whole complex.
• The Hall of Great Compassion - the Guanyin hall, the monastery's busiest.
• The reclining Buddha - the large figure in the Hall of No Form.
• The gardens - ponds, turtles and planting between the halls.

When to go

Year round; the monastery opens early and closes in the evening. Vesak Day and Qingming bring very large crowds. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

It is a working monastery with a large columbarium and many visitors are there to mourn; behaviour matters. The complex is large and confusing without a map. Dress rules apply.

Nearby

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is south, and Lower Peirce is north.