Pasir Panjang Stories:- In response to news of Penrod Dean's passing in 2006, the National Archive of Singapore posted a webpage called "A Tribute to Lt. Penrod Vance Dean (19 Nov 1914 - 16 May 2006)." This includes two short video clips of him honouring the memory of the Malay Regiment soldiers.

bullockcartwater 牛车水:- It was New Year eve. For some reasons, I felt that I must go for my haircut. Just like in the old days, one must have his hair cut before the Chinese New Year. And so, I strolled to the S$10 barbershop in Chinatown.

Good Morning Yesterday:- Dear friends and regular readers of Good Morning Yesterday. I am very happy to announce that I have just published my first book, something I have always wanted to do. The title of my book is ideas@work and it is available at the online bookstore Lulu.com. It is about how to manage the suggestions programme or what is more popularly known here in Singapore as the Staff Suggestion Scheme or SSS. I have written a more detailed article about this book in my other blog; My 5S Corner.

Good Morning Yesterday:- It all started when I received some exciting bits of military intelligence reports about the role of the Americans in Singapore during WW2. All this time, I was under the impression that only the British fought for the liberation of Singapore from the Japanese. Between October 1944 and July 1945, American B29 bombers conducted intelligence and bombing sorties on selected targets in Singapore. The targets included POW Centers, oil storage installations, airfields, enemy bases and key installations.

Good Morning Yesterday:- More memories of Sembawang, this time via email from a friend from Australia (I presume).

bullockcartwater 牛车水:- It is the time of the year when we, the residents of Chinatown get to see first hand, the rehearsal for Singapore's National Day celebrations. Looking at the skies, that is. Year after year, we never fail to be excited by the chut chut sounds of the helicopters as they fly overhead with the giant Singapore flag (the biggest in Singapore?) fluttering above us. And sure enough, looking at the distance, the jets would be flying past. While the helicopters seem to be consistent in their flight path, it is not so with the jets over the years. They must have been flying different formations.

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- Dear all,

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- This long weekend has finally given me time to do some research on the Qing royal plaques found in Thian Hock Keng, Wak Hai Cheng Bio and Kek Lok Si. I was curious under what conditions these plaques were presented to temples in Singapore & Penang as they were all from the same emperor - Guang Xu emperor. As there were no royal connections bewteen the temples in Nanyang until the latter half of the 19th century, there had to be some reasons for the sudden interest by the Manchu government with the Chinese community in Nanyang. Here are some details of the 4 plaques bequethed by the emperor :

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- Whilst researching on the 4 royal plaques, came across accidentally on many web resources on the fall of China and its awakening. While Singapore has been favourably praised by Western visitors with terms like 'Asia lights', 'everybody speaks English here', and 'its so clean' etc, the Chinese-speaking countries view Singapore as an anamoly and backward in cultural sophisication due to the Chinese population's superficial understanding of mainstream Chinese culture. In a rather chauvanistic manner, Taiwan's prominent political figure and commentator derides Singaporeans as 'stupid'. I can understand what he is talking about having worked in China myself. I vividly remembered how I was criticized by a Beijing friend as having 'no culture' when a group of his friends were discussing Chinese poetry and history. I felt stupid, Li Ao was absolutely right. The Chinese speaking world just cannot fathom why Chinese Sngaporeans could not speak or write Chinese properly. It is only...

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- Here are some dates according to the reign of the emperors that are commonly found in Chinese temples and houses in Singapore :

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- I will not be putting new articles in this blog as from today. My new blog

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:- Dear supporters of the SOCH initiative,

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:-

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:- Yi Lie Beo (in Hokkien) or Yi Lie Miao's 义烈庙 main Deity is Kor Ma Niu Niu (in Hokkien) or Gu Ma Niang Niang 姑妈娘娘 in Mandarin. The other Deity of this temple is Ji Guan Shuey or Er Lu Yuan Shuai 二路元帥.

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:- Tucked away in this quiet lorong is a temple or sintua (Sheng Tan) named Kim Tong Hu 金洞府(Hokkien) or Jin Dong Fu in Mandarin. Except to the devotees of the temple, most Singaporeans might only get to know about this temple when it holds its celebrations twice a year at the Kallang Park, next to the McDonald's. This temple celebrates on 22nd of the Lunar New Year (First Month) in honour of Sian Chye Ya 善才童子 (Shan Cai Tong Zi) and on 15th of the 5th Lunar Month in honour of Kim Min Dai Lin 金面大人 (Jin Mian Da Ren).

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:-

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:- This blog is dedicated to the "sintua"(in Hokkien)　神坛 in Singapore. For purpose of clarity, the "sintua" is defined here as one that does not have a proper temple building. It could be in an apartment or a terrace house. In most cases, such a "sintua" would have mediums.

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:-

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:- This book: Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual: Tang-ki: Chinese Spirit Medium Worship by Margaret Chan is probably the first English edition book on Tang-ki worship in modern day Singapore. This book is also a Tangki Worship 101 for many who might have witnessed numerous such events in Singapore and yet have no idea on what they were all about.

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:-

Chinese Temples:- Claimed to be the oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore, this place of worship houses a number of relics, some reputed to be several centuries old, which have been brought over from China. It was gazetted as a national monument on 6 July 1973. Thian Hock Keng has undergone several renovations, the latest in 1998.

Chinese Temples:- For more than 40 years, I passed this temple, first by walking up the path to Mt Faber, and later driving past, but I did not get to visit the temple until December 2005. From a temple with a great fengshui with a hill behind with lots of trees and nothing else, and looking down the valley or foothill with the attap houses, this temple is now dwarfed by the surrounding HDB flats.

Chinese Temples:- On 8 Dec 2005, Shin Min Daily, a local Chinese Newspaper in Singapore launched its first book on Chinese Temples in Singapore, Miao Yu Wen Hua 庙宇文化. This book covers some 38 temples in Singapore. The book is available in most bookshops and newspaper stands at S$5 each.

Chinese Temples:- This book: Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual: Tang-ki: Chinese Spirit Medium Worship by Margaret Chan is probably the first English edition book on Tang-ki worship in modern day Singapore. This book is also a Tangki Worship 101 for many who might have witnessed numerous such events in Singapore and yet have no idea on what they were all about.

Chinese Temples:-

Chinese Temples:- This present Jalan Kayu Ban Kok Sua Chong Yee Beo [Wan Guo Shan Zhong Yi Miao] 万国山忠义庙, has been at this place since 1964. The main Deity of this temple is Guan Gong, known as Hup Tian Dai Deh [Xie Tian Da Di 协天大帝]. The Guan Di statue was actually from the Guan Di temple in Dong Shan 东山, Fujian. This temple was said to be the springboard for the Guan Di temples in Taiwan, and possibly South East Asia.

Chinese Temples:- Seng Wong Beo, as is more popularly known to the older generations in Singapore, was a landmark in Tanjong Pagar. It is still a landmark, an ancient structure dwarfed by the huge and tall concrete skyscrapers. This year, 2006, it celebrates its 101st year of existence.

Chinese Temples:- The Fire Dragon 火龙 is another form of the more commonly seen and known Dragon, which is usually made of cloth material. The Fire Dragon (Huo Long) is made from straws from the padi (also known as Straw Dragon or Tau Chao Long 槄草龙). In Singapore, it is said that only the Man San Fu Tat Chi 万山福德祠 (or Wan Shan Fu De Ci in Mandarin) in the Sar Kong (Sha Guang 沙冈) village - which is now just recognised as Sims Drive - has this Fire Dragon as part of its traditional temple event.

Chinese Temples:- There are three temples in the Jurong West Combined Temple 裕廊西聯合宫 [Yu Lang Xi Lian He Gong] located at the corner of Jurong West St. 41 and 51. Looking at the front of the temple, from the left, West Coast Hock Teck Si (Xi Hai An Fu De Ci 西海岸福德祠), Tian Gong Tan Zhao Ling Gong　天公坛昭灵宫, and Xian Long Gong　显龙宫.

Chinese Temples:- A temple that started off in an attap shed on a land donated by a grateful jeweller during WWII (1941), Jin Long Si, 金龙寺 (originally known as Jin Long Miao) was later rebuilt into a zinc-roof and wooden structure. It has since stood still with passing time. Today, this unique structure in the midst of rapid developments in the Lorong How Sun (off Bartley Rd & Upper Paya Lebar Rd) area, which is as busy as before, stood still in time, reminding us of the kampung days in this area and in Singapore.

Chinese Temples:- Also known as Tua Kang Lai Temple (because it is near to a canal), this 100+ year old temple is now the witness to the rapidly evolving Singapore, in a sea of modern terrace houses and tall condominiums. In its days, it was surrounded by attap houses where most of the villagers were said to come from a same area in AngKuei (Anxi) in China. Most of them have the Chua (Cai) surname.

bullockcartwater 牛车水:- We know the words "Hungry Ghost Festival" pretty well in Singapore. We know that there will be offerings - by the roadsides, outside the homes, with the communities, prayers & rituals, residental & business community dinners & auctions, and of course the ubiquitous GeTai. But do we really know what Hungry Ghost Festival or Zhong Yuan Jie is all about?

Good Morning Yesterday:- I have enjoyed reading several posts by my fellow nostalgia bloggers like Philip Chew, Thimbuktu, YG, Victor and Jerome Li sharing their memories of Sembawang. Although Sembawang is not ‘my territory’, I do have some memories of that place which I too would like to share with you. But, unlike my other stories, my memories of Sembawang don’t go back very far. In fact they are relatively recent, going back to the early nineties when my kids were still quite young.

Pasir Panjang Stories:- Post by Quek Kiah Shen

bullockcartwater 牛车水:- I think. Interesting to see some old sights and sounds. You might hear some familiar ways of descriptions on life in old Singapore. Can you spot any familiar sights?

Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore:- From first to the ninth day of the Ninth Lunar Month, Singapore comes alive with celebrations or commemoration in honour of the Nine Emperor Gods or Jiu Huang Ye (Kiu Ong Yah in Hokkien) all over the island. From East Coast at Ulu Siglap to Bukit Batok, some 12 temples/sintuas organise this massive events.

bullockcartwater 牛车水:-

Chinese Temples:- Tian Teck Keng has its origin in a kampong behind the Rochor Tua Pek Kong Temple, off Balestier Road. In the old days, when there were no temples, the families of the village would come together each year to celebrate the "deity of the village" and they would pua-puay (using the divination blocks) to seek for Lor-Chu (head of the joss urn). In this village, they did the same for Nezha - Lian Hua San Tai Zi 哪吒 莲花三太子. Whoever got the lor-chu will bring home the statue of Lian Hua San Tai Zi and the joss urn home to worship the deity till the next year. And so, the Deity made his round of the homes in the village, depending on who is keen to "apply" to host him. The TiKong (Jade Emperor) urn dated 1922 still exists today. This means probably the practice was carried out way before that. The temple has just...

Good Morning Yesterday:- If you traveled along Dunearn Road from Eng Neo Avenue to Adam Road, the most prominent landmark that you will pass by is the beautiful, sprawling new campus of the Nanyang Girls’ School. Do you what institution used to occupy this piece of land?

Chinese Temples:- Nested in this lane, which is considered as part of Paya Lebar Road, are two temple complexes, all new generation temple buildings built as a result of urban renewal in Singapore.

Chinese Temples:- Nested at the corner of Upper Thomson Rd (175) with the former Lakeview Estate (now no more there), in a narrow strip of land, stands the  Hai Lam Sua Ti Kong Tua  海南山天公坛 (Hai Nan Shan Tian Gong Tan). This year, 2009, the temple celebrates its 105th Anniversary from 14Nov to 23Nov.

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-

Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore:-