12 Best Sights in Singapore

Beautiful by day but especially lovely by night, Chinatown’s most iconic landmark is tiered in ornate red and gold, the design inspired by the Buddhist mandala, a symbol of Buddhist culture that represents the universe. The temple takes its name from what’s thought to be the left canine tooth of the Buddha, recovered from his funeral pyre in India and displayed inside the temple grounds.

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple has a pagoda-like entrance topped by one of the most ornate gopurams (pyramidal gateway towers) you're likely to ever see outside of South India. Hundreds of brightly colored statues of deities and mythical animals line the tiers of this towering porch; glazed concrete cows sit, seemingly in great contentment, atop the surrounding walls. The story of this temple begins with Naraina Pillay, Singapore's first recorded Indian immigrant, who arrived on the same ship as Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and set up his own construction business, often using convicts sent to Singapore from India, quickly making a fortune. The first temple, built in 1827 of wood and attap (wattle and daub), was replaced in 1843 by the current brick structure. The gopuram was added in 1936. Inside are some spectacular paintings that have been restored by Tamil craftsmen brought over from South India. This is where Hindu weddings, as well as the firewalking festival Thimithi, take place.

Dedicated to Vishnu the Preserver, the temple is easy to recognize by its 60-foot-high monumental gopuram, with tiers of intricate sculptures depicting Vishnu in the nine forms in which he has appeared on Earth. Especially vivid are the depictions of Vishnu's manifestations as Rama, on his seventh visit, and as Krishna, on his eighth. Sri Srinivasa Perumal is very much a people's temple, with services that include Prasadam Offering and Term Archanai. Inside, you'll find devotees making offerings of fruit to one of the manifestations of Vishnu. This is done either by handing coconuts or bananas, along with a slip of paper with your name on it, to a temple official, who'll chant the appropriate prayers to the deity and place holy ash on your head, or by walking clockwise while praying, coconut in hand, around one of the shrines a certain number of times, then breaking the coconut (a successful break symbolizes that Vishnu has been receptive to the incantation). Dress conservatively—shawls can be provided—and be ready to take off your shoes before you enter.

This structure was completed in 1842 to replace a simple shrine built 20 years earlier. It's one of Singapore's oldest Chinese temples, built on the spot where, prior to land reclamation, immigrants stepped ashore after a hazardous journey across the China Sea. In gratitude for their safe passage, the Hokkien people dedicated the temple to Ma Chu P'oh, the goddess of the sea. It's richly decorated with gilded carvings, sculptures, tile roofs topped with dragons, and fine carved-stone pillars. On either side of the entrance are two stone lions. The one on the left is female and holds a cup symbolizing fertility; the other, a male, holds a ball, a symbol of wealth. If the temple is open, note that as you enter, you must step over a high threshold board. This serves a dual function. First, it forces devotees to look downward, as they should when entering the temple. Second, it keeps out wandering ghosts—ghosts tend to shuffle their feet, so if they try to enter, the threshold board will trip them.

Inside, a statue of a maternal Ma Chu P'oh surrounded by masses of burning incense and candles dominates the room. On either side of her are the deities of health (on your left) and wealth. The two tall figures you'll notice are her sentinels: one can see for 1,000 miles; the other can hear for 1,000 miles. The gluey black substance on their lips—placed there by devotees in days past—is opium, meant to heighten their senses. Although the main temple is Taoist, the temple at the back is Buddhist and dedicated to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Her many arms represent how she reaches out to all those who suffer on earth.

This is a good place to learn your fortune. Choose a number out of the box, then pick up two small stenciled pieces of wood at the back of the altar and let them fall to the ground. If they land showing opposite faces, then the number you have picked is valid. If they land same-side up, try again. From a valid number, the person in the nearby booth will tell you your fate, and whether you like the outcome or not, you pay for the information. Leave the grounds by the alley that runs alongside the main temple. The two statues to the left are the gambling brothers. They will help you choose a lucky number for your next betting session; if you win, you must return and place lighted cigarettes in their hands.

The dusty, incense-filled interior of this popular temple has altars heaped with hundreds of small statues of gods from the Chinese pantheon. Of the hundreds of deities, Kwan Im, more often known as Kuan Yin, is perhaps most dear to the hearts of Buddhist Singaporeans. Legend has it that just as she was about to enter Nirvana, she heard a plaintive cry from Earth. Filled with compassion, she gave up her place in paradise to devote herself to alleviating the pain of those on Earth. Her name means "to see and hear all." People in search of advice come to the Kwan Im temple, shake cham si (bamboo fortune sticks), and wait for an answer. The gods are most receptive on days of a new or full moon.

This temple's main altar is dedicated to Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy)—also known as Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara—and is framed by beautiful, ornate carvings of flowers, a phoenix, and other birds. The temple, also called Dragon Mountain Temple, was built in 1926. To the right of the main altar is an image of Confucius to which many parents bring their children to pray for intelligence and filial piety. If you enter from the prayer hall's side doors, you'll reach the ancestral hall in the rear, where you can see tablets with the names of deceased worshippers. When you visit, be sure to observe a modest dress code.

Tens of thousands of devotees visit this sprawling multi-religious temple every month to pay their respects to the Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu deities and worship in the Muslim shrine here. Elaborately carved patterns on the ceilings demarcate the different areas in the temple, which is especially popular with those seeking wealth and good fortune. During the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in the ninth lunar month (from late October to early November), the temple takes on a carnival atmosphere as some 100,000 Taoist pilgrims descend on it, bringing exotic foods, flowers, joss sticks, and candles as offerings for their prayers.

Dedicated to Kali the Courageous, a ferocious incarnation of Shiva's wife, Parvati the Beautiful, this temple was built in 1881 by indentured Bengali laborers working at nearby lime pits. Inside is a jet-black statue of Kali, the fiercest of the Hindu deities, who demands sacrifices and is often depicted with a garland of skulls. More cheerful is the shrine to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity. Perhaps the most popular Hindu deity, Ganesh is the child of Shiva and Parvati. During the temple's opening hours you will see Hindus going in to receive blessings: the priests streak devotees' foreheads with vibhuti, the white ash from burned cow dung.

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya is better known by its popular name because of its lightbulbs surrounding a 50-foot Buddha. Sporting a fusion of Indian, Thai, and Chinese influences, the entire temple as well as the Buddha statue, was built by the Thai monk Vutthisasala. Until he died at the age of 94, he was always in the temple, ready to explain Buddhist philosophy. Among the relics he procured: a mother-of-pearl-inlaid cast of the Buddha's footprint and a piece of bark from the bodhi tree under which the Buddha is believed to have received enlightenment. Around the pedestal supporting the great Buddha statue is a series of scenes depicting the story of his search for enlightenment; inside a hollow chamber at the back is a re-creation of the scene of the Buddha's last sermon.

Built in 1826 by Teochew Chinese from Guangdong Province and dedicated to the goddess of the sea, this is one of Singapore's oldest Taoist temples. It's also known as Wak Hai Cheng Bio Temple, which means Temple of the Calm Sea. Traders and travelers returning from China visited the temple on disembarking—believe it or not, Philip Street was then very close to the water—to offer their thanks for a safe journey. It has been maintained by the Ngee Ann Clan Association since 1845 and was rebuilt in 1895. Inside, there's an imperial signboard presented by Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu in 1907. Each of the structure's twin wings can be accessed by its own entrance, each of which has different ornamental features. Besides dragons and pagodas, human figurines and scenes from Chinese operas are depicted on the temple's roof.