An affluent Chinese Hokkein merchant, Low Kim Pong, who was a devout Buddhist, once had a dream wherin he saw golden lights coming from the west over the sea. The west, for Chinese, is a symbol of Buddhism as India, the land of origin of Buddhism, lies to the west of China. Because of this, he interpreted the dream as significant and went to the western shore next day. Before sunset, he saw a ship which carried a Hokkien family, coming. The family had adopted Buddhism and were moving back to their home in Fujian, China, after a pilgrimage to India. The merchant was deeply touched by their devotion and promised to build a temple for the propogation of the Buddhist faith if they agreed to stay back. The family agreed and the temple was constructed in the first decade of teh 20th century in Toa Payoh in Singapore. The head of the family became the first abbot of the temple. Siong Lim Temple is the common Hokkien (a variant of the Min Nan language spoken in southern province of Fujian, China) or Fukien name of the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, which literally translates into the Twin Grove of the Lotus Mountain Temple. The temple spreads over an area of

40,000 square metres, the land was donated by Low Kim Pong himself. The money, too, was donated by Low Kim Pong along with saw mill pioneers of the period. In the 1950s, the area of the temple was reduced to half. In 1980, the temple was declared a national monument, however, this did not bring any benefit to the temple for a long time. It remained neglected till 1994 when a major renovation work was commenced to maintain it.


Architecture
Since the workmen involved in the construction of the temple owed their origin to different counties of Fujian proince, the temple, too, reflects a mix of the elements of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou styles.

A beautifull decorated gateway leads into an open courtyard. Within, there are a number of shrines dedicated to various deities, including the Goddess of Mercy and the Laughing Buddha. The temple also has a seven storey gold-topped pagoda, a repplica of 8 centuries old Shanfeng temple pagoda in Fujian. The temple is protected by Four Kings of Heaven.


Other Attractions

• Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple : The temple is the first and perhaps the only Burmese temple outside Burma. It was constructed in 1990 by a Burmese expatriate to serve the people of Burma staying out of the country. Within, a marble image of Buddha is a huge attractions. Also, another image of Buddha stands on the third floor of the temple. Entry to the temple is free and you can pay a visit anytime between 6:30 am to 9:00 pm.