Thian Hock Keng

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Pagoda Keng Teck Huay in the temple complex

The Thian Hock Keng (天 福 宫) temple in Singapore , translated as "Palace of Heavenly Happiness", also known as the Tianfu Temple , is one of the oldest and most important temples of the Hoklo Chinese in Singapore. It is dedicated to the worship of Mazu ("Ma Cho Po"), a Chinese sea goddess. It was laid out in 1821 and thoroughly rebuilt in 1939–1942. The temple is administered by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Association (also just Hokkien Huay Kuan).

history

In 1821, Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province erected a small place of prayer on the site of today's temple as thanks for their successful journey to Singapore: it was dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, the patroness of seafarers. The religious center at this time, however, was the Heng San Teng Temple, built in 1928 , which oversaw the Tiong Lama cemetery.

Altar of the sea goddess Mazu

After the number of immigrant Chinese in the city continued to rise, it was decided in 1939 to build (and enlarge) the temple, which was not completed until 1942. The new temple was also given the role of "cemetery temple" and overseeing the Tiang Lama cemetery. The Thian Hock Keng Temple was built on the initiative of the Singaporean Hoklo Chinese from the Hokkien Huay Kuan clan that was formed at that time . In addition to being a prayer house, it also served as an office and an event location. The statue of the patron deity Mazu was shipped from Amoy (now Xiamen ) in Fujian Province and arrived in Singapore in April 1840. The details of the temple's history and the names of the sponsors of the construction work are recorded on stone tablets in the entrance hall. In 1849, the Chung Wen Pagoda and the Chong Boon Gate were also built.

On June 28, 1973, the Thian Hock Keng temple complex was declared a National Monument.

Another very extensive restoration of the temple took place between 1998 and 2000, which earned it an “honorable mention” at the award ceremony of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage 2001 Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation .

Location, architecture

Tamping system Thian Hock Keng, inner courtyard

Thian Hock Keng is located in central Singapore in Chinatown in the Outram district on Telok Ayer Street.

The temple was built by Chinese craftsmen in traditional Hokkien temple architecture. Not a single nail was used in the construction and all materials were imported from China, including the ironwood posts that serve as the main supports of the building. The temple has curved roof ridges, on the roofs of the entrance hall and the main hall there are four dancing dragons, which symbolize justice and power. The decorative elements on the roofs are made using a special technique: colorful ceramics were meticulously cut into smaller pieces and glued to beautiful mosaic figures. The usual standard of a three-aisled typology was used: the building consists of an entrance hall, a main hall and a rear hall. Additional rows of side halls are located on either side of the main prayer halls.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jaime Koh: Hokkien Huay Kuan , in: Infopedia , Server of the National Library Board , Government of Singapore, online at: eresources.nlb.gov.sg /.../ SIP ...
  2. ↑ a b c Thian Hock Keng , in: Infopedia , Server of the National Library Board , Singapore Government, online at: /eresources.nlb.gov.sg/...2005-01-10
  3. ↑ a b c Thian Hock Keng , website of the state's National Heritage Board, online at: roots.sg / ...
  4. ↑ Entry on the server of the National Archive of Singapore, Singapore Government, online at: nas.gov.sg / ...
  5. ↑ UNESCO AWARD-WINNING CONSERVED BUILDINGS , online at: www.ura.gov.sg / ...
  6. ↑ Temple bags Unesco award , report from The Straits Times newspaper of September 20, 2001, page 4, online at: eresources.nlb.gov.sg/.../straitstimes20010920-1 (conditional access)

Web links

Commons : Thian Hock Keng  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 1 ° 16 ′ 51.8 "  N , 103 ° 50 ′ 51.1"  E