Hong San See

location:31 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238975

Hong San See(凤山寺), also known as the "Temple on Phoenix Hill" is located on the side of Institution Hill off Mohamed Sultan Road. Established by Hokkien immigrants from Nan'an(南安, or Lam Ann) County in Fujian Province, China, the temple showcases the spirit of solidarity and organization of the early Hokkien community in Singapore, while also bearing testament to their contributions.

Originally constructed in 1836 on Tras Street in Tanjong Pagar by a group of Hokkien pioneers led by Neo Lim Kwee(梁壬癸), who was the father of Neo Chan Guan(梁赞元), a founding member of Keng Teck Whay, Hong San See served as both a temple and social center for early immigrants from Nan'an to connect and seek support.

In 1907, the colonial government evicted the temple from Tras Street and acquired its land, offering its trustees 50,000 Straits dollars in compensation. Subsequently, the trustees obtained a new site on Mohamed Sultan Road and built the current Hong San See between 1908 and 1913. Lim Loh(林路), also known as Lim Chee Gee(林志义) and Lim Hoon Leong(林云龙), was appointed to design and supervise the construction project. His son, Lim Bo Seng(林谋盛), was recognized as a war hero in Singapore during World War II, and a memorial was erected in his honor.

Deities Worshipped

The chief deity worshipped in the temple is Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王). According to later records, his lay name was Guo Zhongfu (郭忠福) or Guo Hongfu (郭洪福), born during the Later Tang Dynasty (923-937). Though his birthplace of Xiaoxichang (小溪场) was part of Anxi County since 955, it was under the administration of Nan’an County in his lifetime; he remains most closely associated with Nan’an County and the temple erected in honour of him and his descendants (Feng Shan Si, after which Singapore’s Hon San See is named) is located there.

Other deities enshrined in the temple include Cheng Huang (城隍, ‘Town Deity’), Xuan Tian Shang Di (玄天上帝, ‘Heavenly Emperor’), and Guan Yin (观音, commonly known as the Goddess of Mercy).

Architecture and Furnishings

Hong San See is designed in the traditional Hokkien architectural style. The style’s most outstanding features include the curved ridges on the roofs with prominent upturned ‘swallow-tail’ end sweeps. The roofs are also richly decorated with various carvings and sculptures, such as dancing dragon figures symbolising justice, power, and prosperity. These decorations were made with a special technique called jian nian (剪粘, ‘cut and paste’), whereby colourful ceramics were carefully cut and trimmed into smaller fragments, before being pieced together to form colourful mosaic figures. Similar works of art can be found in other Chinese temples in Singapore, including Thian Hock Keng, Yueh Hai Ching Temple, Tan Si Chong Su, and Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery.

The decorations on the left and right sides of the temple halls are strikingly dissimilar. One side features lanterns with chrysanthemum flowers carved onto their bases, while those on the other side display lotus motifs. It is rumored that two groups of artisans worked on the temple at the same time. In light of fierce competition in the construction industry of that era, each team strove to outdo one another, resulting in the uniquely different embellishments found on each side today.

Lim Loh’s name can also be found inscribed on one of the granite pillars. The calligraphic verses of Pan Shou, a well known local calligraphist, are displayed prominently on the pillars in the main prayer hall.

In the past, the temple housed a school within its compound. Nan Ming School (南明学校), founded in 1915, operated in the side halls and catered mainly to the children from nearby villages, such as Bukit Ho Swee. However, due to financial difficulties, the school closed down just ten years later, in 1925.

Hong San See Today

The Singapore Lam Ann Association assumed management of the temple in 1973. Since then, Hong San See has embarked on a series of renovation works. A major restoration between 2006 and 2009 won the temple the Award of Excellence in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2010, making it the first Chinese temple in Singapore to receive the prestigious accolade.