Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery (also known as Siong Lim Temple) is a beautiful Buddhist temple and monastery. It was originally built in 1902 by a wealthy Chinese Hokkien merchant, Low Kim Pong, after dreaming he saw a golden light rising from the west, over the sea ... (The west has a special symbolic meaning in Buddhism, as India, where Buddhism originally came from, is west of China and the rest of the "Buddhist world").
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The original temple was modeled after the Xichang temple in Fujian province, China, but as the construction involved many masons and artisans from different provinces, the temple features elements and motifs of other South China styles, like Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou.
The temple was declared a national monument in the 1980s and went through major renovations and restoration in the 1990s, when eighty carpenters, sculptors and artisans were brought in from China to bring it back to its past glory.
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Other than various styles of fine South-Chinese architecture, the temple boasts a lovely compound with well groomed Bonsai trees, ponds and manicured gardens. The real draw, however, is the seven storey gold-topped pagoda which is a replica of the 800 year old Shanfeng temple pagoda in Fujian.
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How to get there ? Alight at MRT-Toa Payoh, walk through the adjacent bus interchange, turn left to Lorong 6 Toa Payoh and walk along it (on the other side, near to the park), passing Toa Payoh Town Park, the swimming complex and Toa Payoh Stadium (all on your right). Turn right to Kim Keat Link and after a couple of minutes left, to the small street next to block 247, than right again and follow the street to the temple.
For more info, you should visit the official website of Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery.
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Toa Payoh, one of Singapore's first and largest public housing towns, is a good place to browse for reasonable quality stuff at wallet-easy prices, and to enjoy some nice food at the numerous food stalls and the kopitiams...
The Town Centre comprises a fairly big open-air pedestrian mall, right next to the MRT Station, which means that getting there is as easy as pie, and you can combine it with a visit to the nearby Siong Lim Temple or to other places of interest around this region...
MRT-Toa Payoh is located along the red marked North-South(NS) MRT line
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Kong Meng San Phor Kark See (or simply Bright Hill Temple, as it is more commonly known) is Singapore's largest Buddhist temple and, as a matter of fact, it is not just a single temple, but a cluster of several temples, monasteries and pagodas, spread acroos a large compound of 25 acres.
Although most of the structures here are not as "historic" as some of the other temples across the island, the fine detailed and heavily invested buildings are worth a long visit...
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Combining traditional Chinese architecture with modern styles, the massive Venerable Hong Choon Memorial hall, next to Bright Hill Road Gate, is the compound's newest building. Walk up to the Hall of No-Form on the building's top floor, where you can see one of Asia's largest and most splendid bronze Buddha statues, rising to a height of almost 14 meters and weighing 55 tons.
Other beautiful buildings in the compound include the distinctively golden Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, the Bell and Drum towers and the various halls.
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The temple is open daily, 6 am - 9:30 pm and the entrance is free (the halls close down at around 4:30 pm).
How to get there ? From the bus interchange next to MRT-Bishan (two stations after MRT-Toa Payoh): Take SBS bus Nos. 52 or 410 and alight at a bus-stop called "Before Bright Hill Temple". As soon as you leave the bus, turn right and after a cuple of minutes turn left to Bright Hill Road, where the main gate can be found (There is also a small gate right next to the bus stop).
For more information, call the temple's reception desk on 6849 5300, or visit their website.
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Other tours & Places of interest along the MRT North-South(NS) line:
MacRitchie Reservoir - A jungle suspension bridge and nature trails
Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari - Animal lover's paradise
Sungei Buloh Wetland & Little Gwilin - Dramatic natural landscapes
