18 Buddhist and Hindu temples to visit in Singapore

Seng Wong Beo Temple is a city god temple located in Tanjong Pagar. Back when it was first constructed, the temple was nothing more than a wooden house. In 1905, it was rebuilt in the image of village temples of Southern China – and now stands out from the surrounding office blocks with its jewel green roof and bright red beams. A place for both Buddhist and Taoist worship, Seng Wong Beo Temple is today's best-known for conducting Chinese rituals known as ghost marriages – arranged between parties where one or both are deceased. 

Inspired by the Chinese Tang Dynasty, this temple in Chinatown underwent a major facelift, and reopened in 2007, welcoming worshippers and visitors to its temple, museum, library, garden, vegetarian restaurant and bookstore. There's a 15-foot Maitreya Buddha that sits on the ground floor of the main hall and on the third storey lies the Buddhist Cultural Museum. It displays a selection of rare artefacts detailing the history of Buddhism and the different traditions practised in Asian countries. Located at the rear of the hall, you’ll find the Sacred Buddha Relics Chamber. This houses what are regarded as the brains, blood, muscle and flesh relics of Buddha. According to the religion’s beliefs, these items are supposedly Buddha’s body in eternal form.

A century ago, Telok Ayer Street was right up against the sea. And this temple, known as the Temple of Heavenly Happiness, was popular with newly arrived immigrants, who came here to burn incense in thanks to Ma Cho Po (a Taoist deity and protector of seafarers) for their safe arrival. Some of the materials used in the temple were taken from the boats, including the rooftop mosaic. Inside, the main altar features a statue of Ma Cho Po, and other deities of luck, war and punishment.

You don't have to cross borders to visit a Thai Buddhist temple. First constructed in 1925, Wat Ananda Metyarama Thai Buddhist Temple is one of the oldest Thai Theravada Buddhist temples in Singapore. After undergoing several facelifts, its new extension was completed in 2014 and houses the new monks' quarters, meditation halls, classrooms, and a museum. The temple is a beautiful juxtaposition of traditional and modern, which comes as no surprise that it was nominated for the 2014 World Architecture Festival Awards.

Founded in 1875, this temple is one the oldest Theravada institutions and the only Burmese Buddhist temple of its kind in Singapore. The traditional Burmese architectural-style temple is home to the 10-tonne, 11-foot white marble Buddha statue that arrived from Mandalay in 1918. The statue boasts the worthy accolade of being the largest pure white marble statue of Buddha outside of Myanmar. It also has a Bodhi tree with an origin that traces back to the original Bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment.

This 1908 Buddhist monastery – Siong Lim Temple, for short – is the oldest in Singapore. An 11-year, $40-million restoration project was completed in 2002 (using carpenters and artisans from China), but it still remains a fine specimen of classic Chinese-style architecture – it's specially modelled after the Xi Chang Shi Temple in Fuzhou, South China. Highlights include the two magnificent 9.1-metre wooden entrance gates and the 29-metre Dragon Light Pagoda built entirely of granite and topped with a golden spire.

As Singapore’s first – and possibly only – temple dedicated to the Monkey God, this 97-year-old temple has more than ten statues of the Taoist deity within its premises. Some of them even date back over a century, making this beautifully anachronistic building (it’s right in the middle of hipster central, Tiong Bahru) a heritage hotspot where your kids can live and breathe history. Look out for Uncle Lim, the chatty temple caretaker who’ll tell you all about the Monkey God and its many different incarnations.

One of the oldest Cantonese temples in Singapore with 150 years of history, Mun San Fook Tuck Chee temple used to be a communal hub for coolies. Also known as Sar Kong Temple, the building sits on land that is slated to be redeveloped. It is home to the Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee Lion Dance Troupe which puts up a fire dragon performance where a straw dragon is lit up in flames and paraded up and down the streets of the HDB flats nearby, as it once did in the nearby villages back in the day.

This Buddhist temple, built in 1884, is dedicated to Kwan Im (also called Guanyin), the goddess of mercy, and was used as a refuge for the sick and destitute during the Japanese occupation. Today, hundreds of worshippers flood in every day; the main prayer hall is a flurry of activity as people take turns to kneel on the prayer carpet in front of the golden Buddha, where they shake i-ching sticks.

Located on a small hilltop, 'Temple of Thanksgiving' is Singapore's first ecologically green temple. First built in 1954 as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the Battle of Pasir Panjang in 1942, the Buddhist temple was rebuilt in 2003, complete with solar energy cells on its rooftop.

Also known as the Calm Sea Temple, built in 1826 by Teochew fisherman. Set back from the road, the temple’s wide forecourt is dominated by incense coils hung on wires. Note the large kilns for burning hell money and other offerings to the dead.