Yueh Hai Ching Temple

Yueh Hai Ching, the temple of the calm sea, was built in the 1820s and rebuilt in the 1890s by the Teochew community, and like Thian Hock Keng it was a place arriving migrants came to give thanks for the crossing. It is two shrines side by side, one to Mazu and one to Xuan Tian Shang Di. Its roofs are the point: the ridges are packed with cut-and-paste ceramic figures, whole opera scenes in miniature, restored with craftsmen from Chaozhou.

Background

Most accounts date the first temple to 1820, a simple wood and attap structure. In 1826 Lim Poon put up a shrine on the Philip Street site under a 999-year lease, where sailors travelling between Singapore and China could give thanks for safe voyages. The Ngee Ann Kongsi took over its management in 1845, the present temple was built between 1852 and 1855, and a plan for major rebuilding followed in 1895. In 1907 the temple received an imperial plaque from Emperor Guangxu. Together the two temples cover a floor area of 1440 square meters, and the restoration earned an Award of Merit in the 2014 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards.

Source: Wikipedia, "Yueh Hai Ching Temple"

Highlights

• The roof figures - ridges packed with ceramic opera scenes in miniature.
• The two shrines - Mazu and Xuan Tian Shang Di side by side in one compound.
• The Teochew craftsmanship - work by craftsmen brought from Chaozhou.
• The financial district setting - a 1890s temple surrounded by banking towers.

When to go

Year round; the temple keeps daily hours. Weekday lunchtimes bring office workers. Mornings are quietest.

What to expect

Office towers surround it completely and there is no setting left. The temple is small and takes half an hour. The roof detail needs binoculars or a long lens to appreciate.

Nearby

Raffles Place is beside it, and Thian Hock Keng is southwest.

Key facts