粤 海 清 廟 YUEH HAI CHING TEMPLE ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS
Francoise Ying
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Content
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI
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Foreword Introduction
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Roof and Jian Nian Doug-gong and Truss Detail Connecting Piece Bracket Short Post Ending Piece Column and Flooring Door and Window Gable Wall Wall Panel at the Porch Plaster Moulding and Stone Carving
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Bibliography
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14 18 19 20 21 22 26 32 34 38
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Foreword This book seeks to study and analyse the architectural components and its history of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. It features learning from an academic module titled “Overseas Chinese Architecture and Settlement” from the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, under the guidance of Professor Chen Yu. Special thanks to Yeo Kang Shua, as this study has taken references from the detailed research done and published in the two books written by him - Divine Custody: A History of Singapore’s Oldest Teochew Temple and Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History. Photographs in this book are predominantly taken by the author,. Otherwise, the sources of the images are written in the caption.
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Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Fuk Tak Chi Temple
Thian Hock Keng Temple
(PREVIOUS PAGE) Front elevation of the twin shrines - Tian Hou Gong and Shang Di Gong. (THIS PAGE, TOP) Historical Map (1862) of Singapore. Source: Department of Geography, National University of Singapore.
Introduction Yueh Hai Ching Temple, also known as the Wak Hai Cheng Bio, from its Teochew pronunciation, is a temple located in Raffles Place in Singapore’s central business district along Philip street. Further down the road, along Telok Ayer street, the Fuk Tak Chi (a museum which used to be a temple) and Thian Hock Keng Temple are located nearby. The temples were originally located very close to the shoreline before the land reclamation. Yueh Hai Ching Temple, which translates to “Temple of the Calm Cantonese Sea”, used to be one of the first stops for Chinese immigrants traveling to Singapore in the early 19th century. The temple is divided into two temples, each with its own entrance. The right temple (Shang Di Gong) is dedicated to Xuan Tian Shang Di, otherwise known as Duo Lau Yah. The left temple (Tian Hou Gong) is dedicated to Tian Hou Sheng Mu, otherwise known as Ma Zu. The Xuan Tian Shang Di is a god worshipped by the Taoist. It is well respected and worshipped by the secret societies in the 19th Century. Ma Zu is worshipped as she guides ships to safety in times of peril. The temple has a large forecourt which gives a panoramic view of the temple. It is believe that the there was competitive construction for Yueh Hai Ching temple where two or more teams were involved in the construction of the two temples.
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I
Roof and Jian Nian
The roof of Yueh Hai Ching Temple follows the standard Teochew style. The roofs of the front, main and rear halls are gabled roofs (doublepitched roofs). Roof tiles used in the temple are typical Teochew clay tiles which are lighter and thinner compared to other types of clay tiles. The ridge ornaments over the nave of Shang Di Gong temple are in the form of two dragons flanking a flaming pearl hoisted on a metal rod. The dragon, according to the ancient Chinese, is a symbol of power, sovereignty, and righteousness. The roof of Mazu temple has a ridge design comprised of dragons guarding the city against evil spirits, which were symbolic of geomantic power to revert negative energy into positive energy. The elaborate embellishments on the roofs of Yueh Hai Ching Temple are elaborate patterns of one- and two-story mini structures, as well as human miniatures. They have been arranged to resemble clusters of dwellings in a Chinese village. Not only is the ridge packed with dragons and tiny models of residences, the copings, gable ends, and hips are also ornamented with a variety of pagodas, sheds, dwellings, and niches. Human statues are displayed around, showing scenes from Chinese operas which depict the valiant and virtuous actions of the gods and ancient heroes in Chinese legend. Cut-and-paste porcelain shard work is a classic technique used to produce these figurines. Wires and rods are used to construct armatures, which are then coated with a cement-like lime base made of limestone powder or seashell powder. The limp is combined with sand and wool to produce a paste over which porcelain shards are placed, resulting in a glazed gloss with a smooth, vivid appearance. 8
REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
SHANG DI GONG
TIAN HOU GONG FRONT HALL
FRONT HALL
1.1
1.2
1.6
FORECOURT
1.3
1.5
FRONT GATEWAY
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1.1
1.2
(TOP, Fig. 1.1) Roof of the right temple, Shang Di Gong. (BOTTOM, Fig. 1.2) Roof of the left temple, Tian Hou Gong.
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1.3
(TOP, Fig. 1.3) Roof of the Front Gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. (BOTTOM, Fig. 1.4) The test of laying new blue tiles during the restoration carried out from 2011 to 2014. Source: Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History, Yeo Kang Shua.
1.4
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1.5
(TOP, Fig. 1.5) Ornaments on the ridge of the roof of the Front Gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple; close up of the drip drain tile and eaves tile cap. The tiles are Teo Chew clay tiles.
(BOTTOM, Fig. 1.6) Ornaments over the nave of Shang Di Gong with two dragons flanking a blazing pearl, which is lifted on a metal rod.
1.6
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1.7
(TOP, Fig. 1.7) Aerial view of the roof over the front and main halls, showing two diamond-shaped inverse boat roofs. Rainwater is discharged along the light coloured edge that are made from slabs. Source: Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History, Yeo Kang Shua.
1.7
1.5
(BOTTOM, Roof Plan) Roof plan drawing of Tian Hou Gong and Shang Di Gong. Source: Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History, Yeo Kang Shua.
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II
Dou-gong and Truss Detail
During the restoration and assembly process, problems pertaining to structure were resolved through the removal and replacement of unsafe components. The support system of the massive roof timbering is visible in Yueh Hai Ching Temple. The exposed wooden structural truss are decorated elaborately. Most of the structural truss system were painted in black and gold. The carvings on the beams are engraved in many different layers, with the most dramatic being the pierced-relief carvings. This style of carving is more three-dimensional. Not only the wood carvings are exceptionally detailed, they are also decorated in gold foil and paint. Yellow, or gold, is the symbol of earth, the property of the Emperor. As such, it is often regarded as a symbol of grandeur, power and state.
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REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
SHANG DI GONG
TIAN HOU GONG FRONT HALL
FRONT HALL
2.3
FORECOURT
2.1
2.2
FRONT GATEWAY
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Cluster of dou-gong
2.1
2.2
Cluster of dou-gong
2.2
(TOP and MIDDLE, Fig. 2.1 , 2.2) Roof construction system at the Front Gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. Pictures are on the left and the corresponding exploded axonometric drawings are on the right. (BOTTOM, Sectional Drawing) Sectional drawing of the front gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. Circled are the corresponding areas of analysis.
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2.2 2.1
2.3
Timber column Timber Jib
Timber T’i-mu
(TOP, Fig. 2.3) Roof truss at the entrance of the front hall of Tian Hou Gong. (BOTTOM, Exploded Axonometric) Exploded axonometric drawing of the roof truss detrail at the entrance of the front hall of Tian Hou Gong.
Source of drawings on this page and previous page: Yueh Hai Ching Temple Preservation Guidelines, Preservation of Monuments Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority.
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III
Connecting Piece
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
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IV
Bracket
(PREVIOUS PAGE, Fig. 3.1) Connecting Piece at the Front Gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. (PREVIOUS PAGE, Fig. 3.2) Connecting Piece at the front porch of Tian Hou Gong.
4.1
(PREVIOUS PAGE, Fig. 3.3) Connecting Piece at the front hall. (PREVIOUS PAGE, Fig. 3.4) Connecting Piece at the main hall.
4.2
(THIS PAGE, Fig. 4.1) Bracket piece at the front porch of Tian Hou Gong. 4.3
(THIS PAGE, Fig. 4.2 & 4.3) Bracket piece at the front hall.
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V
Short Post
King Post
Queen Post
5.1
(TOP, Fig. 5.1) Truss system at the main hall of Tian Hou Gong, indicating the location of king-post and queenpost. (BOTTOM, Fig.5.2) Close up of the truss system of Tian Hou Gong, before restoration. Source: Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History, Yeo Kang Shua. 5.2
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VI
Ending Piece
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
(TOP, Fig. 6.1 & 6.2) Ending Piece at the Front Gateway of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. (MIDDLE, Fig. 6.3 & 6.4) Ending Piece at front porch of Shang Di Gong. (BOTTOM, Fig. 6.5) Ending Piece at front porch of Tian Hou Gong.
6.5
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VII
Column and Flooring
The supporting columns of Yueh Hai Ching Temple are predominantly made of granite. It comes in different shapes - spindle-shaped, bevelled edge as well as square and hexagonal cross-section. During the restoration in 2010 to 2014, the granite floor slabs at the front porch of Shang Di Gong were removed to compact the ground. This was done to resolve differential settlement of Yueh Hai Ching Temple. The floor slabs, as well as other masonry underwent minor cleaning using water and neutral pH solution. During the 2010 to 2014 restoration, handmade square and hexagonal terracotta tiles were ordered to replace the original tiles. Handmade tiles were selected as the cutting and finishing of machinemade terracotta tiles were considered too clean, as such, the use of handcrafted tiles was considered more suitable.
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REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
7.2
SHANG DI GONG
TIAN HOU GONG 7.3
FRONT HALL
FRONT HALL
7.1
FORECOURT
FRONT GATEWAY
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7.1
7.2
(TOP, Fig. 7.1) Bevelled edge column at the front porch of Shang Di Gong. (MIDDLE, Fig. 7.2) Square cross-section columns at the front hall of Tian Hou Gong. (BOTTOM, Fig. 7.3) Spindle-shaped column at the main hall. 7.3
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7.4
7.5
(TOP, Fig. 7.4) Diagonal square terracotta tiles. (MIDDLE, Fig. 7.5) Octagonal terracotta tiles.
7.6
(BOTTOM, Fig. 7.6) Granite floor slabs at the front porch of the temple.
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VIII
Door and Window
8.1
8.2
(Fig. 8.1 & 8.2) Door Gods at the front halls before restoration in 1994 to 1997. Source: Pre-restoration Photographic Records, The Ngee Ann Kongsi 1994. Courtersy of The Ngee Ann Kongsi.
There were extensive restoration works on the doors of Yueh Hai Ching temple. During the restoration process on the doors, craftsmen had to repaint and chisel wood relief carvings based on the original design of the doors. The timber balustrade and gate, as well as the screen doors leading to the main hall were a few of the doors that had to be reinstated. During the restoration, the door gods were drawn on a base map based on archival photos. The process of painting of the doors were done step-by-step, such as line drawing, gold pasting, colouring and other processes. 26
REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
8.4 8.6
8.7
TIAN HOU GONG
SHANG DI GONG
8.5
FRONT HALL
8.2
FRONT HALL
8.3
FORECOURT
FRONT GATEWAY
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8.2
(TOP, Fig. 8.2 & 8.3) Detailed painting of the door gods, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, at the front hall of Tian Hou Gong.
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8.3
8.4
(TOP, Fig. 8.4) Screen doors of main hall. (BOTTOM, Fig. 8.5) Ceremonial doors of front hall showing the palace maiden.
8.5
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8.6
(THIS PAGE, Fig. 8.6) Circular qingshi granite phoenix fenestration.
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8.7
(THIS PAGE, Fig. 8.7) Circular qingshi granite dragon fenestration.
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IX
Gable Wall
9.1
The temple was initially surrounded by shophouses and party walls used to abut the temple. Originally, the temple did not have exposed external gable walls. After the shophouses were gone, the gable walls were exposed which made the temple look incomplete as the gable ends were not well decorated. During the restoration process, craftsmen had to work on gable mouldings to make the gable ends more aesthetically attractive and presentable - for the devotees and the deities. They were however, kept simple to ensure that visitors do not mistake the new mouldings as architectural decorations designed from the mid-1890s. The gable walls of Yueh Hai Ching Temple of metal and wood elements.
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9.2
(PREVIOUS PAGE, Fig. 9.1) Gable wall of the main hall of Tian Hou Gong. (THIS PAGE TOP, Fig. 9.2) Gable wall of the front hall of Tian Hou Gong (BOTTOM, Fig. 9.3) Gable wall of the rear hall of Tian Hou Gong.
9.3
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X
Wall Panel at Porch
The artistic style of the figurines and geometry shapes at the front porch were of Teochew style. The vase and borders of the bottom panels were designed in a geometric style called bógǔwén. The panels in the middle are contain mainly figurines for historical storytelling. During the restoration works, many of the panels have to be reconstructed as they were badly damaged. In the 1950s, the lowest panels were originally painted white. During the 1994 to 1997 renovation, the panels were completely replaced as it was deemed that their proportions and decorative style were not inaccurate. The panels were initially made of cement which increased the dampening issue by trapping moisture within walls. Craftsmen were offered the artistic license to re-interpret the design of the panels based on their own expertise and understanding of Teochew decorative plastering style. Historical archives were also used to study the original craftsmenship. The craftsmen had to figure the proportions and colours of the motifs. Unlike the bottom panels, the middle panels were mainly restored rather than replaced. Only minor parts were replaced due to dampening. The initial pargeting was still in good condition despite it appearing dull due to deterioration. The restoration team tried to keep as much of the original painting as possible. To do so, the panels were only partially repainted. The figurines in the foreground and midground were repainted while the background was kept to its original state. This ensures that the initial brushwork and craftmanship can still be recognised.
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REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
SHANG DI GONG
TIAN HOU GONG FRONT HALL
10.1
10.2
FRONT HALL
10.3
10.4
FORECOURT
FRONT GATEWAY
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10.1
(TOP & BOTTOM, Fig. 10.1 & 10.2) Wall panels at the front porch of right temple, Shang Di Gong. 10.2
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(TOP & BOTTOM, Fig. 10.3 & 10.4) Wall panels at the front porch of the left temple, Tian Hou Gong.
10.3
10.4
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XI
Plaster Moulding and Stone Carving
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
(Fig. 11.1 & 11.2) Original fresco painted plaster tiger and dragon walls at the front halls of Tian Hou Gong. Source: Pre-restoration Photographic Records, The Ngee Ann Kongsi 1994. Courtersy of The Ngee Ann Kongsi. (Fig. 11.3 & 11.4) Granite versions of the same walls during the 1994 to 1997 restoration. Source: Photographed by Ung Ruey Loon
The stone carvings in Yueh Hai Ching Temple are of Teochew style. There are dramatic and life-like sculptures of such form all around the temple, with each panel portraying traditional folklore coveying fundamental Confucian principles. The stonework in Yueh Hai Ching temple was in relatively decent condition and did not demand major restoration or replacement. Minimal realignment of the granite wall at the front gateway and granite floor slabs at Shang Di Gong front porch were completed to settle and stabilise the temple. The dragon and tiger walls have changed in composition and material over the years, from plaster and fresco to granite (1994 to 1997 restoration) then back to plaster and fresco during the 2010 to 2014 restoration. 38
REAR HALL
MAIN HALL
MAIN HALL
11.10
11.7
11.8
11.5
11.6
SHANG DI GONG
TIAN HOU GONG FRONT HALL
FRONT HALL
11.9
FORECOURT
FRONT GATEWAY
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11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8
11.9
(THIS PAGE TOP, Fig. 11.9) Stone carvings above the main entrance of the right temple, Shang Di Gong.
(THIS PAGE BOTTOM, Fig. 11.10) Back of circular qingshi phoenix fenestration.
(PREVIOUS PAGE TOP, Fig 11.5 & 11.6) Plaster and fresco walls at the front hall of right temple, Shang Di Gong. Dragon wall denoting east side and tiger denoting west side of the temple. The dragon is believed to be an auspicious and protective creature, while the tiger is renowned for its fierceness, majesty and grace.
(PREVIOUS PAGE BOTTOM, Fig 11.7 & 11.8) Plaster and fresco walls at the front hall of left temple, Tian Hou Gong.
11.10
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Bibliography Books Yeo, Kang Shua, Divine Custody: A History of Singapore’s Oldest Teochew Temple (Singapore, NUS Press, 2021) Yeo, Kang Shua, 粵海清廟：建築與歷史的對話 (Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue Between Architecture and History) (Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 2020) Urban Redevelopment Authority, Yueh Hai Ching Temple Preservation Guidelines (Singapore, URA, 1997)
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