Yueh Hai Ching Temple, Singapore新加坡粤海清庙
- Type
- Overseas Daoist Temples
- Location
- Singapore · Singapore · Singapore · 30B Philip Street; occupying an area of about 1,440 square meters
- Coordinates
- 1.2845, 103.8493 Map ↗
- First built
- 1820 (originally an attap hut)/1852–1855 (rebuilt)/1895 (major restoration) · Managed by the Ngee Ann Kongsi since 1845, previously under the Guanshun Kongsi; gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore (No. 34) on June 28, 1996
- Heritage status
- National Monument of Singapore (1996)UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Merit (2014)
Overview
Yueh Hai Ching Temple is the oldest Teochew temple in Singapore; when first built in 1820 it was merely an attap-roofed wooden hut, was rebuilt between 1852 and 1855, and underwent large-scale renovation in 1895. The temple has two halls, left and right: the right hall is dedicated to Xuantian Shangdi, and the left hall to the Empress of Heaven, Mazu — Xuantian Shangdi is the Daoist Zhenwu, the Great Emperor of the North, venerated as a patron of seafaring among the Teochew communities of the Nanyang region, and this arrangement is a typical instance of Daoist deities merging with the beliefs of maritime immigrants. Early Chinese immigrants would often go to this temple first upon landing to fulfill their vows, giving it the name 'the immigrants' first stop.' It has been managed by the Ngee Ann Kongsi since 1845. In 1907 it received a plaque bestowed by the Guangxu Emperor reading 'Auspicious Clouds over the Dawning Sea.' The temple preserves nineteen plaques and eleven pairs of couplets, with pronounced features of Teochew craftsmanship. Restoration work carried out from 2011 to 2014 received an Award of Merit in the 2014 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards. It was gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore on June 28, 1996.
Highlights
- The oldest Teochew temple in Singapore
- Twin halls for Xuantian Shangdi and the Empress of Heaven
- The 'Auspicious Clouds over the Dawning Sea' plaque bestowed by the Guangxu Emperor (1907)
- UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Merit (2014)