Follow Singapore Immigration and Singapore News: On November 8, 2013, National University of Singapore and the Urban Redevelopment Authority jointly held a seminar titled "Restoration, Preservation, and Community." The speakers included Wu Yixian, Chairman of the Fengshan Temple Restoration Committee, Li Yanliang, Executive Director of the Zhongtai Architectural Culture and Arts Foundation from Taiwan, and Chen Landi, Partner at Zarch Collaboratives Architecture Firm in Singapore. Additionally, over 100 professionals from the architecture-related industry, educators, scholars, architecture students, and members of the public passionate about the preservation of ancient architecture attended the seminar.
During the speech, Wu Yixian, Chairman of the Fengshan Temple Restoration Committee, stated that as the first and only recipient of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in Singapore, this recognition was unexpected during the restoration process. Fengshan Temple has weathered a century of storms and has undergone multiple restorations, but its appearance has changed significantly, with severe damage from termites and rainwater. After careful consideration, the restoration committee decided to restore the temple to its original appearance from over 100 years ago, following the standards for cultural relic preservation in China. The committee invited the Director of the Ancient Architecture Department from the Palace Museum as a technical advisor and brought in a national-level team from Fujian specializing in cultural relic restoration to assist with the work.
During the restoration of Fengshan Temple, the entire team meticulously examined every detail, erecting a steel frame roof before dismantling the structure to protect the ancient temple from sun and rain during construction. Wu Yixian also expressed gratitude to the Urban Redevelopment Authority for their supervision and guidance throughout the process, as well as their adherence to principles. The committee initially believed that the red building of Fengshan Temple should be paired with yellow tiles and had already purchased materials accordingly. However, Wang Jiarong, Director of the Old Building Preservation Research Department at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, insisted that the red building should have green tiles. After verification, the restoration committee resolutely abandoned the purchased materials and reordered a batch of green tiles. To achieve perfection, the top craftsmen from China used the most traditional methods to clean the wooden carvings that had been gilded. Additionally, the unfinished work of the colorless phoenix on the main gate of Fengshan Temple was painted.
The total cost of the restoration of Fengshan Temple was 2.55 million Singapore dollars (approximately 12.75 million RMB), including 1 million Singapore dollars (approximately 5 million RMB) donated by the Li Foundation. To raise sufficient funds, the Nanyang Association organized concerts, auctioned Nanyang red wine, and raised funds through the sale of "cow-tread bricks" removed from the ancient temple walls. This fundraising method was also praised by UNESCO. Furthermore, Fengshan Temple received a special grant of 33,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 165,000 RMB) from the National Heritage Fund.
Due to the outstanding performance of the restoration project, Fengshan Temple received the only Grade A restoration project award from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore in 2013, winning the Restoration Award. The restored Fengshan Temple not only resumed its religious mission but also became a unique cultural and artistic museum of the Chinese nation in Singapore.
During the seminar, Chen Landi, Partner at Zarch Collaboratives Architecture Firm, introduced the series of shops on Jalan 24A. Additionally, Mr. Li Yanliang, Executive Director of the Zhongtai Architectural Culture and Arts Foundation from Taiwan, introduced the concept of utilizing the land and idle spaces owned by the parent company as the greatest resource for various cross-disciplinary artistic experiments, facilitating diverse models of artistic and commercial collaboration.
The restoration of urban ancient architecture is often viewed as the work of professionals in the construction industry, but it actually requires the joint thinking and participation of policy planners, professionals, and owners. Moreover, a frequently overlooked point is that the restoration of urban ancient architecture can have a significant impact on the entire community, which is the longer-term significance of restoration work: the protection of ancient architecture and traditional values not only serves as a reference for the development of today's community but also creates possibilities for preserving the collective memory of future communities.
