Title: Jin Long Si (Golden Dragon Shrine)
Description: "Located in Lorong How Sun, Spore"
Description: "Located in Lorong How Sun, Spore"
javewu - August 21, 2006 08:05 AM (GMT)
Reported By Victor Yue
Jin Long Si
Lorong How Sun
Off Bartley Road
Wed 9 Aug 06 7M16
1045H-1400H
Hi folks,
This morning, I had the good fortune of visiting this Jin Long Si. Although I have been wanting to visit after Tim's report, I have not done so. Today was an interesting outing for me.
Nested between tall modern buildings, this zinc-roofed temple was a like a temple in time forgotten. It is one of those places where one finds serenity the moment one goes into the compound. The temple with zinc roof with wooden walls looked very simple yet elegant. Reminded me of the era gone by when most temples in the kampungs were like that. This temple was once the gathering place of the kampung around it. To these days, many of the villagers still come back for meditation or chanting or just relax and chat with old friends. There was also a small Tang for tablets of the deceased, which many of the villagers have put there. When I was there, a family came with the paper chest and loads of praying paraphernalia, kids and even the family dog. Ah, what would great grandpa say looking at his wonderful and cheerful descendants. Ah, this is the essence of ancestor worship (as coined by someone) .. the remembrance of the past who has brought them the present.
I had the opportunity to meet many members of the temple management committee and thus was able to gather a little more on the history and practice of the temple. Wow, it would require many visits to complete looking at the rich collections of paintings, the Deities, the Buddhas and listen to the tapes of the teaching of the Master who has since passed on.
The main hall had two sections, the one nearer to the road having three altars - as is traditional in Chinese temples, and the other bigger one being used for the congregation to meditate and chant. This is a san-jiao-hui (three religions) temple, consisting of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Since 5 years ago, the practice of Buddhist chanting has started and everyday, there are many people, from young to old, gathered there for the chanting. Free vegetarian meals are also served, three times a day. When I was there, there could be easily a hundred people there and they are very polite, when they saw me, they greeted me with a "wai" (two hands clasped together, typical of Thai and Indian greetings). I thought I was in Thailand. (^^)
It was said that this temple was started at this place in 1941 with an attap hut. But this temple could have been around earlier, the earlier stop being in Tai Seng. In 1958, a zinc roof structure was built and this structure stays till today. There are many different statues of Taoist Deities and Buddhas. It will take a while for me to identify them, with the help of the temple members, and probably from people like Jave. (^^)
I heard that the temple started with the worship of Ta-Mo, the famous Indian(?) Monk that is both revered by the Buddhists and the Folk Taoists. Today, there are many Deities. There is one interesting and very handsomely made statue of PanGu wearing only leaves. In the Chinese mythology, it is said that PanGu created the universe. And there was also a Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu, a female Deity dressed like an Empress.
The altar tables were made of cement-like material with colouring and white specs of tiny pebbles, typical of temples of a certain era, I think. Would be interesting to find out more about such tables. There was also a joss-urn that was very well polished and looked new, but I was told that it was actually very old. Anyone can identify the year? If you can see the picture clearly. (^^)
In the main chanting hall, in a huge glass casing was a big statue of Maitreya (Laughing Buddha). Unknown to the casual visitor, it could be a statue made of wood or stone. But it was actually made of the wood powder used for making joss-sticks and fibre-glass, by devotees of the temple. This temple seems to have devotees who have gone into art. It reminds me of the history I learnt about the golden ages when art flourished, and in many cases, in the temples. (^^)
It is not only the Maitreya that the devotees made. They built a pagoda too! It could well challenge the mini structures in Haw Par Villa. (^^) And this must be the best .. there was a pavilion jutting out for the temple land into the side of a cliff. This temple has a very nice view of the Bartley Road, being on the top of the hill. And what other better place than this for Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu. And so, the devotees went about builting the pavilion on the edge of the slope, and when this was completed, they went to buy a chair (like that of a dragon chair) and added in more things. They bought a number of the dragon walking stick (as one would see Tua Pek Kong holding) and used the dragon motifs for the back of the chair. They then made a life-size statue Nan Wu Wu Ji Shen Mu sitting comfortably on the chair watching the scene down the hill. I forgot to ask when this was done, but surely, Nan Wu Wu Ji Shen Mu must have seen much changes, from a quiet road in front to a buzzling place with plenty of digging and diversions for the construction of the MRT lines and station.
The temple has chanting sessions everyday from 10am to 12 noon, 2pm to 4pm, and 7.30pm to 9pm. On Sundays, from 4pm to 5pm, they listen to the lecture from the past Master through the tape/CD. I heard that most of it is in Hokkien and the Master's talk was drawn from the philosophies of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The temple has a small library and has publish a couple of books, in Chinese. I was lucky to have some and so I will try to go through later.
I heard that temple tours from RC and senior citizen clubs also include this temple as one of their itineraries.
The quiet observer to the evolution of the temple environment as it moved with time just be the giant Bodhi Tree which stood quietly but majestically at the corner. It was reported that this tree probably has the biggest girth around its trunk in Singapore, bigger than the one in Pearl Hill Park. Ever since paper reports about this tree, many curious visitors have been visiting the temple to look at the tree. There is a photographer who has been taking many pictures of this tree and the leaves. He shared with me with some of the shots he has taken .. sure it is postcard quality, and with the Chinese prose, it certainly brings out the qualities of the Bodhi tree. He said that he is working on an exhibition of his photo shots. Great stuff!
I hope to go back and do more studies on the temple. Anyone of you interested, let me know and I can inform you when I am going. But of course, I am sure anytime you pop in you will be welcomed there.
Victor
Singapore
Jin Long Si
Lorong How Sun
Off Bartley Road
Wed 9 Aug 06 7M16
1045H-1400H
Hi folks,
This morning, I had the good fortune of visiting this Jin Long Si. Although I have been wanting to visit after Tim's report, I have not done so. Today was an interesting outing for me.
Nested between tall modern buildings, this zinc-roofed temple was a like a temple in time forgotten. It is one of those places where one finds serenity the moment one goes into the compound. The temple with zinc roof with wooden walls looked very simple yet elegant. Reminded me of the era gone by when most temples in the kampungs were like that. This temple was once the gathering place of the kampung around it. To these days, many of the villagers still come back for meditation or chanting or just relax and chat with old friends. There was also a small Tang for tablets of the deceased, which many of the villagers have put there. When I was there, a family came with the paper chest and loads of praying paraphernalia, kids and even the family dog. Ah, what would great grandpa say looking at his wonderful and cheerful descendants. Ah, this is the essence of ancestor worship (as coined by someone) .. the remembrance of the past who has brought them the present.
I had the opportunity to meet many members of the temple management committee and thus was able to gather a little more on the history and practice of the temple. Wow, it would require many visits to complete looking at the rich collections of paintings, the Deities, the Buddhas and listen to the tapes of the teaching of the Master who has since passed on.
The main hall had two sections, the one nearer to the road having three altars - as is traditional in Chinese temples, and the other bigger one being used for the congregation to meditate and chant. This is a san-jiao-hui (three religions) temple, consisting of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Since 5 years ago, the practice of Buddhist chanting has started and everyday, there are many people, from young to old, gathered there for the chanting. Free vegetarian meals are also served, three times a day. When I was there, there could be easily a hundred people there and they are very polite, when they saw me, they greeted me with a "wai" (two hands clasped together, typical of Thai and Indian greetings). I thought I was in Thailand. (^^)
It was said that this temple was started at this place in 1941 with an attap hut. But this temple could have been around earlier, the earlier stop being in Tai Seng. In 1958, a zinc roof structure was built and this structure stays till today. There are many different statues of Taoist Deities and Buddhas. It will take a while for me to identify them, with the help of the temple members, and probably from people like Jave. (^^)
I heard that the temple started with the worship of Ta-Mo, the famous Indian(?) Monk that is both revered by the Buddhists and the Folk Taoists. Today, there are many Deities. There is one interesting and very handsomely made statue of PanGu wearing only leaves. In the Chinese mythology, it is said that PanGu created the universe. And there was also a Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu, a female Deity dressed like an Empress.
The altar tables were made of cement-like material with colouring and white specs of tiny pebbles, typical of temples of a certain era, I think. Would be interesting to find out more about such tables. There was also a joss-urn that was very well polished and looked new, but I was told that it was actually very old. Anyone can identify the year? If you can see the picture clearly. (^^)
In the main chanting hall, in a huge glass casing was a big statue of Maitreya (Laughing Buddha). Unknown to the casual visitor, it could be a statue made of wood or stone. But it was actually made of the wood powder used for making joss-sticks and fibre-glass, by devotees of the temple. This temple seems to have devotees who have gone into art. It reminds me of the history I learnt about the golden ages when art flourished, and in many cases, in the temples. (^^)
It is not only the Maitreya that the devotees made. They built a pagoda too! It could well challenge the mini structures in Haw Par Villa. (^^) And this must be the best .. there was a pavilion jutting out for the temple land into the side of a cliff. This temple has a very nice view of the Bartley Road, being on the top of the hill. And what other better place than this for Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu. And so, the devotees went about builting the pavilion on the edge of the slope, and when this was completed, they went to buy a chair (like that of a dragon chair) and added in more things. They bought a number of the dragon walking stick (as one would see Tua Pek Kong holding) and used the dragon motifs for the back of the chair. They then made a life-size statue Nan Wu Wu Ji Shen Mu sitting comfortably on the chair watching the scene down the hill. I forgot to ask when this was done, but surely, Nan Wu Wu Ji Shen Mu must have seen much changes, from a quiet road in front to a buzzling place with plenty of digging and diversions for the construction of the MRT lines and station.
The temple has chanting sessions everyday from 10am to 12 noon, 2pm to 4pm, and 7.30pm to 9pm. On Sundays, from 4pm to 5pm, they listen to the lecture from the past Master through the tape/CD. I heard that most of it is in Hokkien and the Master's talk was drawn from the philosophies of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The temple has a small library and has publish a couple of books, in Chinese. I was lucky to have some and so I will try to go through later.
I heard that temple tours from RC and senior citizen clubs also include this temple as one of their itineraries.
The quiet observer to the evolution of the temple environment as it moved with time just be the giant Bodhi Tree which stood quietly but majestically at the corner. It was reported that this tree probably has the biggest girth around its trunk in Singapore, bigger than the one in Pearl Hill Park. Ever since paper reports about this tree, many curious visitors have been visiting the temple to look at the tree. There is a photographer who has been taking many pictures of this tree and the leaves. He shared with me with some of the shots he has taken .. sure it is postcard quality, and with the Chinese prose, it certainly brings out the qualities of the Bodhi tree. He said that he is working on an exhibition of his photo shots. Great stuff!
I hope to go back and do more studies on the temple. Anyone of you interested, let me know and I can inform you when I am going. But of course, I am sure anytime you pop in you will be welcomed there.
Victor
Singapore
javewu - August 29, 2006 12:35 PM (GMT)