Showing posts with label Place of Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Place of Worship. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2014

Sultan Mosque

Sultan Mosque; is located at Muscat Street and North Bridge Road within the Kampong Glam district of Rochor Planning Area in Singapore. The mosque is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore. The prayer hall and domes highlight the mosque's star features. More information can be obtained from wikipedia.

Before approaching the mosque, saw several murals at Muscat Street, they looked so beautiful. There are more but only managed to catpure few.

Several tourists taking the local trishaws touring the area. Strange,I dont take our local trishaw but when overseas I actually love taking the trishaw hahaha.

Directions to Sultan Mosque (section map taken from Map of Singapore - free map can be obtained from Singapore Tourism Board, most hotels, malls, airport, etc)

Friday, August 29, 2014

Chinatown

It is nice to take a slow walk in Chinatown especially walking towards Outram MRT Station. I seldom walk along this stretch of chinatown. Spotted Poon Yue Association, this is the association where my late in laws were members of.

The Poon Yue Association, which the Chinese philanthropist Hoo Ah Kay, more popularly known as Whampoa helped to form in 1879. The association started a school and provided accomodation for people from Poon Yue district of Guangdong.

Kwong Chow Wui Koon, one of the many Cantonese clan associations set up in the early 1920s. it was well-known for its music and opera show.

Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple is located in center of China Town at the junction of Keong Saik Road and Kreta Ayer Road. This temple that was built in 1925, has a very long history. You can read more about the history of the temple from its official website.

So many pigeons in the corner park near the temple, spotted a lone white pigeon among them.

Did not know there's so many restaurants in these rows of shophouses. Will try to visit another time and walk further in this stretch of the roads.

Outram MRT Station (NEL Line)

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Walk along Balestier Road - Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple, 249 Balestier Road

Continued with my walk along Balestier Road I come across this small temple. It is a single storey building. Did not have a good photo of the temple because of the tent.

The temple was established in 1847 by Chinese Hokkien labourers working on Joseph Balestier’s sugar plantation.

The workers set up the temple to protect them cause during the early days, the plantation was infested with tigers and malarial mosquitoes. So they pray for safety and protection.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

A walk along Balestier Road - Goddess of Mercy Temple


Walking along Balestier Road, you can find many wonders and history along the road. One of them is this Goddess of Mercy Temple. There are many Goddess of Mercy Temples around Singapore. The most popular Goddess of Mercy Temple must be the one at Waterloo Street and this temple at Balestier Road is also very popular.

As always the roof of chinese temples decorated with dragons guarding the pearl in the centre. If I am not mistaken the dragon guarding the roof of temple must be the 2nd son of the Dragon King. The dragon king has 9 sons.

Chi Wen - The second son of the dragon, Chi Wen is in charge of rainfall. His image is seen on the ridges of buildings to protect the building from fire. Chi Wen can be seen on virtually every imperial building made of terracotta and colorfully glazed.

You might like to read the rest of the other sons of the dragon king from source.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Shuang Lin Cheng Huang


Just next door to Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple, is another smaller temple called Shuang Lin Cheng Huang. This temple is so much different from the next door temple, it is only one main building and has a high ceiling.

It is a taoist Temple.

High on the roof is a big panel with pictures of all dieties.

You need to purchase a pack of joss sticks to pray to the dieties. A small pack cost about 50 cents while at other temples the joss sticks are free but a small donation is appreciated.

Devotees burn incense papers in a pagoda like urn as offerings to the Gods.

There are two huge lions infront of the temple. I guess they are there to guard the temple.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Shuang Lin Monastery - Buddhist Gods

My little niece praying to the Goddess of Mercy. She is very pious and can always explain to me buddhist quotes from the teachings of Buddha book. I am a free thinker but I love to read the teachings of Buddha. Although I am a free thinker, I will always donate to the temple. The donation helps to maintain the temple and also helps the poor.

During festive period and every 1st and 15th of every chinese lunar month, they have vegetarian meals.


This is a wooden fish in the temple and it is huge. It is used by the monks when they chant prayers.

There are many legends on why they named it wooden fish.

A monk went to India to acquire sutras. On his way to India, he found the way blocked by a wide, flooding river. There appeared neither bridge nor boat.

Suddenly, a big fish swam up. It offered to carry the monk across the river. The fish told the monk that it wanted to atone for a crime committed when it was a human. The fish made a simple request, that on the monk's way to obtain sutras, to ask the Buddha to guide the fish on a method to attain Bodhisattvahood.

The monk agreed to the fish's request and continued his quest for seventeen years. After getting the scriptures, he returned to China via the river, which was flooding again. As the monk worried about how to cross, the fish came back to help. It asked if the monk had made the request to the Buddha. To the monk's dismay, he had forgotten. The fish became furious and splashed the monk, washing him into the river. A passing fisherman saved him from drowning, but unfortunately the sutras had been ruined by the water.

The monk went home full of anger. Filled with anger at the fish, he made a wooden effigy of a fish head. When he recalled his adversity, he beat the fish head with a wooden hammer. To his surprise, each time he beat the wooden fish, the fish opened its mouth and vomited a character. He became so happy that, when he had time, he always beat the fish. A few years later, he had got back from the wooden fish's mouth what he had lost to the flood.(Source: wikipedia)

Reclining Buddha - am sure the stone used must be very precious cause the buddha look so beautiful.



Sharkyamuni Buddha

Buddhist Maitreya in Budai form

I hope the names I used to identify the buddha idols are correct. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Shuang Lin Monastery - Main Entrance


This is the main entrance (Shan Men) of the temple, also known as the ‘Mountain Gate’, Shan Men is also known as the ‘three gates’. Walking through these gates symbolize liberation from the woes of the secular life.

The doors are painted with beautiful pictures of the Door Gods.


The bronze door knocker is shaped like a lion to guard the doors.

You can read more about the gates from its official website

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My World Tuesday - Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery

Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery has a long history dated the nineteenth century, its architecture design also represents a unique pageant of Singapore history. You can read the long story of how the temple was built on a land donated by a rich man from its official website.

Lian Shuang Lin Monastery is tucked away in a corner of a housing estate in Singapore. It is located at 184E Jalan Toa Payoh. You can find the temple from the map. It is worth visiting cause the temple has a long history and it is very beautiful. You will learn more about the temple as you follow my posts. You can take the MRT Train to Toa Payoh MRT Station and get a cab to the temple. The cab fare will be a few dollars only from Toa Payoh MRT Station. Taking the bus from Toa Payoh Station might be a bit confusing if you are not a local.

Entrance to the temple. It is so spacious and big, am surprised to see much changes since I last visited here when I was a teenager.

The temple has gone through several restorations due to termites attack. The temple is the only Monastery with a complete Chong Lin layout in Singapore and the existence of intricate cravings of the Min Nan style on the structure of the halls, which could usually be found in China only. Read more from its official website on why the need to preserve the temple.


Map of the temple - you can find your way about from the map.





In the temple grounds, we could see lots of beautiful well maintained trees and plants as well as bonsai. The temple ground is so clean and well maintained.

Wishing well - if I am not mistaken, this used to be a pond where we can sit beside it. I still have the photo me sitting beside the pond somewhere in my album.

Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Masjid Angullia Mosque



Masjid Angullia located in Serangoon Road in the Little India area, attracted a wide range of nationalities. It can accommodate 400 Muslims any one time. Built with funds from a wealthy Angullia family in 1970, it has an Indian-like minaret. Source from Muis.