Rising in tiers of deep red and gold above the streets of Chinatown, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is one of the most visited religious sites in Singapore, a richly decorated temple built to house what is venerated as a sacred tooth of the Buddha. Opened in 2007 on the site of an old market lane, the temple was the vision of its founding abbot, who set out to create a home worthy of the precious relic and a centre of Buddhist culture in the heart of the city, raising the enormous cost largely through the donations of devotees, who gave gold, jewellery and funds in their tens of thousands. Its architecture draws boldly on the style of the Tang dynasty, a golden age of Chinese art, combined with the symbolism of the Buddhist mandala, and the result is a sumptuous building of carved timber, painted beams and gilded statues quite unlike the older southern-Chinese temples of the district. The undoubted centrepiece is the relic itself, the tooth said to have been recovered from the Buddha funeral pyre, enshrined on the upper floor within a colossal stupa fashioned from hundreds of kilograms of donated gold, set in a hall of breathtaking opulence reserved for veneration. Other floors hold a museum of Buddhist art and artefacts, a hall lined with hundreds of small Buddha figures, a serene rooftop garden with a great prayer wheel, and halls for worship where the chanting of monks and the scent of incense fill the air. The temple is a living place of devotion as well as a tourist attraction, hosting daily rituals, festivals and cultural events, and visitors are welcomed provided they dress and behave respectfully. Standing amid the bustle of Chinatown, easily combined with the markets and food streets around it, the temple offers a striking blend of art, faith and history. For visitors, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple provides both a feast for the eyes and a moving glimpse into the living traditions of Buddhism in Singapore. Completed in 2007 in the heart of Chinatown, the temple was built in a style evoking the Buddhist art of the Tang dynasty, its red-and-gold halls rising over the surrounding shophouses. The relic that gives the building its name is kept in an ornate chamber on an upper floor, while a rooftop garden and a small museum reward those who climb beyond the main prayer hall.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 288 South Bridge Road, Singapore, Singapore

Telephone: +65 6220 0220

Website: https://www.buddhatoothrelictemple.org.sg

Opening Date: 31/05/2007