Seng Wong Beo Temple
Seng Wong Beo Temple is a small temple in Singapore famous for conducting "ghost marriages". Also known as Du Cheng Huang Gu Miao, meaning "Temple of the City Protector", Seng Wong Beo is a Taoist temple similor to Seng Ong Beow in Penang. It is located at Peck Seah Street in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore. Even though it is a Taoist temple, Seng Wong Beo Temple was actually founded by Reverend Swee Oi, a Buddhist monk from Quanzhou, China, who came to Singapore. He witnessed the suffering of the common labourers and rickshaw pullers who were falling sick from the hard life they endured in the distant land, in addition to feeling lonely and homesick. Swee Oi decided to build a temple for them, so that they have a place to worship and pray for the welfare of their loved ones back in China.
Seng Wong Beo Temple was established on the 31st year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, coinciding with the year 1904. Within the temple hall is a tablet presented by the Chinese Consul to Singapore, Zuo Beng Long, two years after its establishment. Seng Wong Beo Temple is dedicated to the Cheng Huang, the patron deity that protects the city. Cheng Huant is also the Chief Magistrate of Hades, that is to say, the deity responsible for guiding the dead into the underworld. For that reason, Seng Wong Beo Temple is the venue for a unique ritual: ghost marriages.
Hundreds of this ritual have so far been conducted at the temple. According to Taoist belief, the rules in Hell permit only the married to eat at the table. Children and the unmarried could only eat under the table. For that reason, the spirit of miscarried foetuses and the unmarried would not be able to receive offerings made on family altars. A ghost marriage has to be conducted to upgrade their status and meal tickets in Hell.
Ghost marriages are usually conducted when the dead appear to their living relatives, seeking their help to find them a match. Though rituals conducted at ancestral altars, the dead were introduced to each other. The success of the match is determined by the casting of lots and interpretation of dreams.
During the ghost marriages, the altar is decked with paper furniture such as bed, car and other material possesions for the dead. Paper effigies of the bridal couple are positioned in worshipful posture in front of the temple deity. Eventually the gifts are torched.
Getting there
The nearest MRT stations are the Chinatown Station (NE4) and Tanjong Pagar Station (EW15).
Sights in Chinatown
These are all the sights I've grouped under Chinatown, listed in alphabetical order. I would recommend that you visit them together.
* sights of considerable interest
* * sights of major interest
Al-Abrar Mosque
Ann Siang Hill
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple * *
Eu Yan Sang
Fuk Tak Chi Museum
Jamae Mosque
Jinricksha Station *
Nagore Durgha Shrine
Seng Wong Beo Temple
Sin Chor Kung Temple
Sri Mariamman Temple * *
Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church
Telok Ayer Green
Thian Hock Keng Temple * *
Shopping in Chinatown
The following are places where you can do a bit of shopping. These include places where the locals shop for their local items, but it provides an interesting glimpse of life in Singapore.
Far East Square
People's Park Centre
People's Park Complex
Yue Hwa Emporium
Associated Sites
Seng Wong Beo Temple in EarthDocumentary
Finding Accommodation in Singapore
If you're going to Singapore, you now have the option of finding accommodation in a hotel, or look for one in hostels and guesthouses. To book a room in a star-rated hotel, use the Singapore Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers. To find accommodation in a Hostel or Guesthouse, use the Singapore Guide to Hostels and Guesthouses. Each link provides detailed listing of the type of accommodation you can expect in Singapore. Be aware that you get what you pay for. If you need a certain degree of comfort, then a star-rated hotel may be an ideal option for you. On the other hand, if you are able to forego a bit of creature comfort, then hostels and guesthouses are clean, safe, and incredibly good value for money. For accommodation in other destinations, visit Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers or Hostels & Guesthouses Accommodation Guide.
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Seng Wong Beo Temple (9 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Seng Wong Beo Temple
Inside Seng Wong Beo Temple (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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