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3 Must-See Heritage Buildings in Singapore
625 days
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in Asia
Some historical buildings in Singapore have featured as settings in classic novels and local folklore. If you are visiting Singapore, remember to check out these 3: the Raffles Hotel, Thian Hock Keng Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple.
Raffles Hotel, Singapore
This is the hotel that has enchanted writers such as Noel Coward, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham, all of whom have written about it. Even as early as 1910, it was a stopover for filthily rich visitors on round-the-world cruises. Such is its attraction that even a real tiger entered it in 1902. But without an invitation, it was eventually shot dead by a school teacher, who turned up at the scene curiously wearing pyjamas and carrying a hangover.
This is also a hotel not to be trifled with. Who else is able to get the Singapore Zoo to send 6 orangutans to a VIP’s room just for the guest’s amusement? Indeed, that was exactly what they did for Michael Jackson when he stayed at the Raffles Hotel in 1993. Of course the apes thrilled the superstar no end.
Thian Hock Keng Temple
The Thian Hock Keng Temple is Singapore’s oldest temple, and is a must-see if you visit Chinatown. Before land reclamation, this temple was smack on the coastline. In the early days, grateful Chinese immigrants would visit Thian Hock Keng the moment their boats landed. Here they gave thanks to the temple’s patron goddess for granting them a safe passage.
You need not go to China to admire traditional southern Chinese architecture, for Thian Hock Keng is just that. For its construction, the most exquisite timber and stone were imported from China. The temple also made use of Scottish cast-iron girdles and English tiles. Skilled craftsmen from southern China were shipped in to work on the temple. The result is an intricate temple full of symbolism.
Get a good Singapore guide-book and wander around the temple ground. Find out why a vertical wooden board is placed across the main door. Or figure out which of the 2 guardian lions (statues) is male and which is female.