Yueh Hai Ching Temple

Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Entrance in 2006
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Literal meaning	Temple of the Calm Cantonese Sea
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yuèhǎiqīng Miào

Yueh Hai Ching Temple, also known as the Wak Hai Cheng Bio from its Teochew pronunciation, is a Chinese temple in Singapore located in Raffles Place in Singapore's central business district. The temple, whose name literally means "Temple of the Calm Cantonese Sea", was the first stop for Chinese immigrants to Singapore in the early 19th century.

The early history of Yueh Hai Ching temple is obscured. Multiple narratives provide conflicting accounts on the date the temple was first constructed. Some traced the history of the temple to as far back as to 1738. The general consensus is that the temple was first put up in 1820 as a simple wood and attap temple. In 1826, pioneer of Man Say Soon Company, Lim Poon erected a shrine on the same site on Phillip Street with a 999-year lease. It was managed by a board of trustees consisting of 14 members. The shrine was constructed so that sailors sailing between Singapore and China during the 19th century could offer their prayers and gratitude for their safe journey. This is reflected in the temple’s name, which translates as “Temple of the Calm Sea Built by the Guadong People”. Phillip Street was once near the sea, so that sailors could head to the temple immediately after docking. Due to land reclamation, the temple was effectively distanced from the shore.

When Ngee Ann Association was formed in 1845, it took over the management from Many Say Soon Company. Between 1852 and 1855, the present temple was constructed. In 1895, Ngee Ann Association submitted a building plan which called for substantial rebuilding of the temple. By the late 19th century, was the second largest and most influential of the Chinese dialect groups after Fujian. Besides being a place of worship, Yueh Hai Ching Temple also acted as a community centre and a meeting place. According to historian Pan Xing Nong, on 26 June 1994, the president of Ngee Ann Association then called for prayers at the temple for the impending World War I. As such, the temple played an important role in the everyday life of the Teochew community. It was where people socialized and exchanged news. It served as a place of congregation for immigrants from the same province to provide mutual support for each other.

Further restoration was carried out between 1995 and 1997 (URA, 1997). The latest round of restoration was officially carried out from 2011 to 2014. However, study of the temple structure for restoration purposes commenced a few years before 2011 (Personal interview with Dr. Yeo Kang Shua). This restoration is highly acclaimed. It is given an Award of Merit for 2014 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation, 2014 Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Architectural Heritage Awards and 2013 National Architecture Institute of China’s Vernacular Architecture Award