Follow Singapore Investment Immigration and follow Singapore Life traditions: The spread of Mazu belief in Singapore was almost synchronized with the opening of Singapore’s port, and may have arrived even earlier. The Thian Hock Keng Temple in Singapore was built in 1839 and completed toward the end of 1842. The main hall of Thian Hock Keng is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, who protects seafarers. It is said that before this, as early as 1810 (the 15th year of the Jiaqing reign), there were already people setting up altars to worship at the original site of the temple. In 1824 (the 4th year of the Daoguang reign), the Ning Yeung Wui Kuan Tin Hau Temple was established in Singapore; in 1840 (the 20th year of the Daoguang reign), the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan was built; in 1857 (the 7th year of the Xianfeng reign), the Kheng Chew Hwee Kuan Tin Hau Temple was created in Singapore; in 1920, the Singapore Hing Ann Huay Kuan was established; in 1927, the Singapore Fuk Tak Chi Temple was created; and in 1971, the Singapore Mushan Mazu Temple was established.
Today, in Singapore, where the Chinese constitute the majority, Mazu belief has been integrated into all levels of society under the operations of clan associations. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently over 50 Mazu temples in Singapore. Notable ones include Thian Hock Keng, Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Kheng Chew Hwee Kuan Tin Hau Temple, Hing Ann Huay Kuan Tin Hau Temple, Hokkien Huay Kuan Tin Hau Temple, Ning Yeung Wui Kuan Tin Hau Temple, Yishun Xihe Company Tin Hau Temple, Mushan Mazu Temple, Xingzhou Jinbangshanting Tin Hau Association, Lim Chu Kang Ah Ma Temple, Yunfeng Tin Hau Temple, Pulau Ubin Semi-port Tin Hau Temple, Hougang United Temple Tin Hau Temple, and the Lim Clan Ancestral Hall Kowloon Temple. Among them, the most famous, Thian Hock Keng, was founded by Chinese sailors in 1821. In 1839, overseas Chinese in Nanyang raised funds to import various architectural components from Quanzhou to expand the temple. They regarded the Mazu statue as a symbol of "remembering the roots while enjoying the benefits," expressing their longing for their homeland and their commitment to preserving the roots of excellent Chinese culture. The temple has now been gazetted as one of the first key historic sites by the National Heritage Board of Singapore.
Due to the devout piety of overseas Chinese to Mazu, the faith has had a significant impact on promoting unity among Singaporean Chinese, initiating public welfare and charitable causes, and providing a vessel for their longing for their ancestral homeland. For example, while Wak Hai Cheng Bio was established by the Teochew community, people from all regions of Guangdong went to worship there. In the early days, local Chinese from the Cantonese, Huizhou, Zhaoqing, Dabu, Jiaying, and Qiongzhou communities participated in the annual Mazu procession held during the lunar month of November. Consequently, this event provided an opportunity for the Chinese community to reconnect with their hometown ties and strengthen their relationships, making the Mazutemple a venue for exchanging thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, when the Singapore Xihe Company Tin Hau Temple was first established, in addition to worshipping Mazu, it also served as a temporary reception station for Chinese immigrants arriving in Nanyang to seek shelter with relatives, thus performing a public charitable function.
Chinese immigrants in Singapore believed that their safe passage across the sea and subsequent success in the region were entirely due to the protection and assistance of Mazu. The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan once founded five schools for overseas Chinese, with some of the funding coming from donations collected by Thian Hock Keng. The charters of some clan associations also explicitly stipulated that the surplus merit money from the Mazu temples founded by their community members should be used for the schools established by the same community. Finally, as for Mazu belief, the synergy between the two has allowed the faith to leverage the tangible power of clan organizations to lead specific initiatives—such as gathering the strength of community members to build or expand Mazu temples, or strengthening the daily operation and management of the temples—all of which have facilitated the spread of the Mazu faith.
In 1986, a joint pilgrimage group from the Singapore Hing Ann Huay Kuan and the Tin Hau Temple arrived at Meizhou to pay homage to the ancestral temple. On December 13, 1998, Wang Yeyu, Chairman of the Singapore Kheng Chew Tin Hau Temple, led a 51-member delegation to the ancestral temple to pay their respects. On September 5, 2006, Lin Jinbang led a delegation to 14 Mazu temples in Singapore, Malaysia, and other regions to conduct goodwill activities and hold ceremonies such as the gifting of plaques, strengthening ties with overseas devotees and compatriots.
