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The Thian Hock Keng Temple had its beginning as a joss house on Telok Ayer Street when the early Chinese immigrants especially from the southern provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Foochow, Amoy and Canton came in their crowded junks soon after Sir Stamford Raffles founded the settlement of Singapore. Large scale immigration began in 1830s.

The joss house was rebuilt as Thian Hock Keng Temple between 1839 and 1842 with funds collected from wealthy men like Tan Tock Seng, a Hokkien merchant. A large sum also received from owners of Chinese junks from China, Siam and Java. All the building materials, the pine wood, the granite pillars, the carvings and the craftsmen were all brought from China. The statue of Ma Cho Po arrived in Singapore in April 1840 and there were large scale celebrations in Telok Ayer Street.

The Temple is square. It has a central hall leading to a large courtyard and another courtyard with an altar of Kuan Yin. This Temple like all Chinese Temples has symbols and designs intended to promote the health and happiness of the worshippers.

The decorations remain almost intact today. They are richly ornamental and reflect traditional Chinese temple architecture in China.

The Temple was completed at a cost of Spanish $30,000. In the courtyard is the Bodhisattva, Kuan Yin, two pagodas each with an octagonal base. Strong beams support the curving, wide eaved roof. The type structures dates back to the Han Dynasty or even earlier. The hexagonal and two octagonal pagodas, two in this Temple, were popular especially during the Sung Dynasty.

Thian Hock Keng means the temple of Heavenly Bliss in Chinese, and its intricate carvings of dragons, phoenixes and imposing sculptures create and aura of spirituality and awe. Statues of lions, tigers and deities guard the main entrances to the temple while the side entrances have peacocks, roses and the Buddhist swastika- a symbol of good luck and prosperity on display. One the two sides of the temple one can find to majestic pagodas and on the left hand side a shrine dedicated to Chinese philosopher Confucius can be seen.

Many of the original decoration remain intact today and visitors to this area can witness the grandeur and mystique of its traditional architecture. Located in Singapore’s Chinatown area many Singapore hotels can be located close by. A number of budget hotels in Singapore in particular are to found here and offer comfortable accommodation at affordable rates. Singapore hotels are among the best in south east Asia. It is easy to find Singapore hotels in online directories.