Lianshan Shuanglin Temple ( Chinese trade. 蓮 山 雙 林 禪寺 , ex. 莲 山 双 林 禅寺 , pinyin : Lián shān Shuāng lín chán sì , literally: "Temple of contemplation (chan) of the Double Grove of the Lotus Mountain", English Siong Lim Temple, Shuang Lin Temple ) is a national monument of Singapore . It is a Chinese Buddhist temple and monastery complex built in 1889-1902. Known as the "oldest monastery in Singapore." Located in a residential area in Dabayao .
| Buddhist temple and monastery complex | |
| Lianshan shuanglin | |
|---|---|
莲 山 双 林 禅寺 | |
 Gate of the Shuang Lin complex | |
| A country |  Singapore |
| Location | 184 E JI Toa Payoh (Siong Lim Temple, 184 Jalan Toa Payoh, Singapore 319944) |
| Denomination | Buddhism |
| Order affiliation | Chan |
| Type of | male |
| Construction | 1898 - 1902 |
| Status | Monument of national importance ; active monastery |
| condition | Good, restoration of 1991-2002 |
| Website | shuanglin.sg |
Architecture
The monastery complex is organized in accordance with the traditional Chinese architectural and construction canon of Heyuan , implying a rectangular enclosed courtyard with buildings.
Originally built on the model of Sichan Temple in Fuzhou , Fujian Province (the history of Sichan Monastery begins in the V century, and its name "Sichan" dates from the XI century). The original building in China suffered significantly during the years of the Cultural Revolution.
Traditionally, craftsmen from South China are involved in the work on the buildings of the complex. As a result, its architecture and decor contain a unique combination of architectural styles from Fuzhou , Quanzhou and Zhangzhou counties in Fujian province , and Chaozhou county from Guangdong province .
During the last restoration, a seven - story pagoda with a gilded top was added to the temple buildings - a copy of the 800-year-old Fujian pagoda from the Shangfeng monastery.
History
Shuanglin was built at the initiative of the haoklo merchant Low Kim Pong on his 40,000 m² land after he had a momentous dream when he was 60 years old. Soon he met a group of pilgrims returning to South China from Sri Lanka, and among the group he was struck by his spirituality, the monk Xianhui from the ancient Sichan monastery in Fuzhou. For him, Low Kim Pong decided to build a temple in Singapore.
The original building was a model of Sichan. A number of subsequent rectors of Shuang Lin were also invited from this monastery.
The construction of the temple was mainly funded by Low Kim Pong and his business partner is also from South China. The Low Kim Pong Initiative has received strong support from the entire Chinese immigrant community in Southeast Asia .
At the time of the opening, Shuang Lin became one of the largest Chinese Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia. His image appeared over the years on Singapore postcards, etc.
In 1904, Chen Baochen , mentor of the last emperor of China, Pu Yi , composed a poem in honor of the temple, in which he compared its construction with the construction of the first Buddhist monastery in India. The poem is presented in his calligraphy in the temple to this day.
In 1938-1942, due to the Sino-Japanese War, the Republic of China was cut off from the sea, and, in agreement with the temple head priest Puliang (who arrived in Singapore from the Changxi monastery in 1912), opened a driving institute on its territory, where military drivers and mechanics were trained to work on the Burmese road .
In 1942, the temple was damaged by Japanese air raids, and when the occupation of Singapore was established, the Japanese command shot Pulan for his permission to place the Driving Institute in the monastery. During the occupation, the temple was turned into a shelter for the homeless.
After the occupation, Rector from 1945 to 1965 was taken by Gao Tsan, an expert in Chinese medicine and a martial arts master, holder of the Shaolin martial arts transmission line. In the post-war city, he was actively engaged in medical care (in 3 hospitals for the poor), and also taught residents of Chinese medicine and martial arts (contrasting the post-war devastation with self-discipline inherent in martial arts). His students in both of these areas occupy an important place in the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia .
In the 1950s, half of the temple land was purchased for housing. The temple itself was gradually deteriorating, and by the 1990s a significant part of its territory was closed to visitors due to unsatisfactory condition.
On October 17, 1980, Shuanglin was listed as a national monument in Singapore . Thus, it became the only protected Buddhist site among the national monuments of Singapore, along with several mosques, Taoist and Christian temples.
In 1991, thanks to private donations, the restoration of the temple began, completed in 2002. About 80 craftsmen from the southern provinces of China were involved in the restoration.
In 1999, Shuanglin received the “Architectural Heritage Award” from the Urban Renewal Authority (URA).