| Some heritage buildings in Singapore continue to | | | | and English tiles. Skilled craftsmen from southern |
| fascinate locals and visitors alike. A few have | | | | China arrived to work on the temple. The result is an |
| appeared as settings in novels and movies, firing up | | | | intricate temple full of symbolism. |
| people's imagination. If you are visiting Singapore, | | | | Get a good Singapore guide-book and wander around |
| remember to check out these 3: the Raffles Hotel, | | | | the temple ground. Find out why a vertical wooden |
| Thian Hock Keng Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple. | | | | board is placed across the main door. Or figure out |
| Raffles Hotel, Singapore | | | | which of the 2 guardian lions (statues) is male and |
| This is the hotel that has enchanted writers such as | | | | which is female. |
| Noel Coward, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset | | | | If the architecture does not impress you, the powers |
| Maugham, all of whom have written about it. Even as | | | | that dwell in Thian Hock Keng might. Apart from |
| early as 1910, the Raffles Hotel was a stopover for | | | | providing journey mercies, the deities are believed to |
| filthily rich visitors on round-the-world cruises. Such is | | | | grant gamblers lucky numbers for the local lottery. If |
| its attraction that even a real tiger entered it in 1902. | | | | you are visiting, test out this power for yourself. It |
| But without an invitation, it was eventually shot dead | | | | might just pay for your vacation - but remember |
| by a school teacher, who turned up at the scene | | | | that it's your own fault if you lose all your holiday |
| curiously wearing pyjamas and carrying a hangover. | | | | cash! |
| This is also a hotel not to be trifled with. Who else | | | | In 1998, when the temple was being restored, |
| can get the Singapore Zoo to send 6 orang utans to | | | | workers found a scroll stashed in one of the roof |
| a VIP's room, just for the guest's amusement? | | | | beams. It was written by no less than the Qing |
| Indeed, that was exactly what they did for Michael | | | | emperor Guang Xu, who pronounced blessings on the |
| Jackson when he stayed at the Raffles Hotel in 1993. | | | | local Chinese community. It just makes me wonder, |
| Of course the apes thrilled the superstar no end. | | | | "What else might still be discovered here?" |
| Thian Hock Keng Temple | | | | Sri Mariamman Temple |
| The Thian Hock Keng Temple is Singapore's oldest | | | | It might surprise you that Singapore's oldest Indian |
| temple, and is a must-see if you visit Chinatown. | | | | temple should be located in the middle of Chinatown. |
| Before land reclamation, this temple was smack on | | | | To explain why it is there will take another article. But |
| the coastline. In the early days, grateful Chinese | | | | the Sri Mariamman Temple continues to draw the |
| immigrants would visit Thian Hock Keng the moment | | | | local Indians, quite paradoxically, to Chinatown. |
| their boats landed. Here they gave thanks to the | | | | The temple had its origins in a small, ramshackle |
| temple's patron goddess for granting them a safe | | | | building made of wood and palm leaves. But in 1843, |
| passage. | | | | it was rebuilt into a concrete structure in the |
| You need not go to China to admire traditional | | | | southern Indian temple style. The building was |
| southern Chinese architecture, for Thian Hock Keng is | | | | erected by Indian convicts shipped in from Madras. If |
| just that. For its construction, the most exquisite | | | | they were frustrated with their lot, it did not show, |
| timber and stone were imported from China. The | | | | for the temple is both sturdy and intricate even |
| temple also made use of Scottish cast-iron girdles | | | | today. |