SINGAPORE TEMPLE

Kuan Yin Temple is on Waterloo Street and rated as one of the most renowned Chinese temples in Singapore. Kuan Yin is a famous Chinese goddess, originally called “Kwan Im”, the goddess of mercy. She is a very virtuous deity as she helps those in need, according to myths retold for many generations. The original Kuan Yin Temple was constructed in 1884 but was reconstructed in 1982. It has the typical structure of a Chinese temple with an impressive gate leading to a courtyard, and then further in, the temple sanctuary. Inside the sanctuary one can see lots of statues of Chinese deities, including that of Kuan Yin. Numerous offerings are made here, including flowers, incense, oil, fruit and candles.

Outside the temple, there are many fortunetellers, flower-sellers and beggars, all of which are part of the attraction of the temple for visitors. Many Chinese are very superstitious and have a tradition of asking for divine assistance, consulting mediums and fortunetellers for advice regarding auspicious dates for marriages, selling and buying, lucky number to win lotteries, etc. The statues of the gods may remain silent, but believers shake a circular bamboo box with 50 thin sticks in it, each one having a number on it. When a stick is selected, its number will lead one to the correspondingly marked small piece of paper on which is written the prediction or answer to one’s question (the answer being suitably obscure so as to be able to be interpreted in any number of ways!).

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

HANOI, VIETNAM

Hanoi in Vietnam has an estimated population of about 7 million and is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is located at 1,760 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. October 2010 officially marked 1000 years since the establishment of the city. On this occasion, Hanoi was named by Frommer’s travel guide as one of the world’s “Top Destinations 2010”.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

CAPE SOUNION, GREECE

Cape Sounion (Modern Greek: Aκρωτήριο Σούνιο, transliterated Akrotírio Soúnio) is a promontory located 69 kilometres south-southeast of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula in Greece. Cape Sounion is noted as the site of ruins of an ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788–1823). The site is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, with the sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after spectacle.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the  Wordless Wednesday meme.

BUDDHA TOOTH TEMPLE, SINGAPORE

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a Buddhist temple and museum complex located in the Chinatown district of Singapore. The temple is based on the Tang dynasty architectural style and built to house the tooth relic of the historical Buddha. The ground breaking ceremony was conducted on 13 March 2005. Costing S$62 million and 2 years later, a soft launch was held to coincide with the 2007 Vesak Day celebration.

The building was conceptualised and designed by the temple’s Chief Abbot Venerable Shi Fa Zhao, aided by a team of local and overseas consultants. Its grand design is based on the elements and history of Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist Mandala, the latter which is a representation of the Buddhist universe. Other highlights found in this temple include the Buddhist Culture Museum, Eminent Sangha Museum, Sacred Light Hall, and a Theatre which holds cultural performances, talks and film screening.

It is claimed that the relic of Buddha from which it gains its name was found in 1980 in a collapsed stupa in Myanmar. It also houses other sacred relics of the Buddha, such as bone and tongue relics. The temple prides itself on the research done to ensure accuracy and authenticity on the design and architecture found here. Since opening, the temple has become a popular attraction within Chinatown. Simple vegetarian fare is served in the basement of the temple, and payment is by donation.

This post is part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme,
and also part of the Spiritual Sundays meme.

HINDUISM IN SINGAPORE

There are over 35 Hindu temples in Singapore, which are needed to serve the religious needs of the many Hindus residing there. Hindu religion and culture in Singapore can be traced back to the early 19th century, when a wave of immigrants from southern India arrived seeking to work for the British East India Company. They built temples for worship, and also for holding the community together as a source of comfort in a foreign land.

There are currently about thirty main Hindu temples in Singapore, dedicated to various gods and goddesses. Hindus make up a minority, comprising about 5.1% of adult Singapore citizens and permanent residents in 2010. Almost all Hindus in Singapore are ethnic Indians. Within the Indian community, 55.4% are Hindu.

The government of Singapore is secular, but promotes a multi-cultural society. Accordingly, the Hindu festival of Deepavali is recognised as a national public holiday, alongside religious holidays of other communities. Some non-Indians, usually Buddhist Chinese, participate in various Hindu activities. Several major Hindu festivals are celebrated every year.

This post is part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.

SINGAPORE PROMENADE

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. The country is highly urbanised with very little primary rainforest remaining, although more land is being created for development through land reclamation.

In terms of purchasing power parity, Singapore has the third highest per capita income in the world. There are slightly over 5 million people in Singapore, of which 2.91 million were born locally. The population is highly diverse; the majority are Chinese, with Malays and Indians forming significant minorities. Reflecting this diversity, the country has four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. One of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, the country is also the host of the APEC Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth.

Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population.

This post is part of the Mellow Yellow Monday meme,
and also part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme.

PHILAE, EGYPT

Philae (Greek: Φιλαί, Philai; Ancient Egyptian: Pilak, P'aaleq) is an island in Lake Nasser, Nubia. It was formerly an island in the First Cataract of the Nile River and the previous site of an Ancient Egyptian temple complex in southern Egypt. The complex was dismantled and relocated to nearby Agilkia Island during a UNESCO project started because of the construction of the Aswan Dam, after the site was partly flooded by the earlier Aswan Low Dam for half a century.


Monuments of various eras, extending from the Pharaohs to the Caesars, occupy nearly the whole area of Philae. The principal structures, however, lie at the south end of the smaller island. The most ancient were the remains of a temple for Isis built in the reign of Nectanebo I during 380-362 BC, was approached from the river through a double colonnade. For the most part, the other ruins date from the Ptolemaic times, more especially with the reigns of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Ptolemy Epiphanes, and Ptolemy Philometor (282-145 BC), with many traces of Roman work in Philae dedicated to Ammon-Osiris.


The island is reached by boat and visitors can wander around and admire the temples inside and out. No visit to Egypt is complete without visting this amazing site.


This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme
the Watery Wednesday meme
and the Outdoor Wednesday meme.

A constant stream of boats brings tourists to Philae

A boat approaching the island

Approaching the temple by boat

Temple of Isis courtyard

Temple of Isis Exterior

Bas relief inside the temple with Isis in the centre (the horned moon on her headdress)

Trajan's Kiosk of Philae