Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

"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." It is claimed that the relic of Buddha from which it gains its name was found in 1980 in a collapsed stupa in Myanmar. The relic can be viewed by the public at the 4th floor of the temple.

Since opening, the temple has become a popular attraction within Chinatown. Simple vegetarian fare is served in the basement of the temple, though donations are accepted.

Located in the historic district of Chinatown, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum’s richly designed interiors and comprehensive exhibits on Buddhist art and history tell stories of culture over thousands of years old. Built in 2007, the temple gets its name from what the Buddhists regard as the left canine tooth of Buddha, which has been recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar, India and displayed on the temple’s grounds.

History
Ven. Shi Fa Zhao, the current president and abbot of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, was approached by STB in 1998 to develop a proposal for a temple on the vacant site. Besides stipulating the building design to be ‘traditional’, it is also requested that the temple contains facilities and hold events for both locals and tourists.

The temple went through a total of nine proposals before the design was finalised. The abbot rejected a design that was too ‘contemporary’, therefore, deemed out of place in the Chinatown landscape. He also rejected a design with Southern Chinese typology, which is the style adopted by temples with a long history in Chinatown. As such, a temple with Southern China architecture would have been an authentic reflection of the migrant history of Singapore. Instead, the final design of the building has Northern Chinese style with arts from Tang Dynasty.

Shi Fa Zhao is also the founder of the Metta Welfare Association, a non-profit voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) that provides special education, welfare services, community and medical care to the intellectually disabled, elderly and terminally ill in society.

Careful design
This Tang-styled Chinese Buddhist temple was conceptualised and designed by the temple’s Chief Abbot Venerable Shi Fa Zhao, with the help of local and overseas consultants. It costs S$75 million to set up, and is based on various elements of Tang Dynasty architecture. The building’s design was inspired by the Buddhist Mandala, a symbol of Buddhist culture that represents the universe.

Sacred relics and giant stupa
The Buddhist Culture Museum on the third floor holds an array of revered artefacts of the Buddha, such as bone and tongue relics, and the Sacred Light Hall on the fourth floor contains the temple’s centrepiece.

The Buddha Tooth Relic is housed in a giant stupa weighing a whopping 3,500 kilograms and made from 320 kilograms of gold, of which 234 kilograms were donated by devotees. Only monks are allowed into the relic chamber, but visitors will be able to see the tooth relic from the public viewing area.

Other highlights include the Eminent Sangha Museum, a theatre that holds cultural performances, talks and film screenings. If you’re looking for a little quiet contemplation amid Chinatown’s hubbub, the roof garden, with its pagoda and Buddha prayer wheel, offers a tranquil hideaway.

Discovering Buddhism
Shakyamuni Buddha was believed to have gained insight into the true nature of being, and perfected the qualities of wisdom and compassion over 2,500 years ago. Today, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple carries on the legacy of his teachings through the ‘Discovering Buddhism’ workshop. Travellers can gain more insight into Buddhism at this interactive workshop led by the temple’s resident venerables.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

• Located in: King Artifact services
• Address: 288 South Bridge Rd, Singapore 058840
• Opened: 2002
• Operating Hours: Daily 7am-7pm.
• Phone: +65 6220 0220
• Public transit access: Chinatown MRT station, Tanjong Pagar