Fuk Tak Chi Museum, Singapore

Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Fuk Tak Chi Museum (GPS: 1.28291, 103.84873) is housed in what was the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore. Located at 76 Telok Ayer Street, the Fuk Tak Chi Museum used to the the Fuk Tak Chi Temple, or Temple of Prosperity and Virtue. The temple was built by the Hakka and Cantonese in Singapore. It began as a shrine in 1824, with Tua Pek Kong as the principal deity. It belongs to the Shenist sect, which creates an eclectic mix of Taoism with Confucianism. Its entrance gate and immediate chamber were designed according to the appearance of an old China magistrate court. The building operated as a temple until July 1994, when the management of the temple was relocated.

The restoration of Fuk Tak Chi temple building began in 1997 over a period of 18 months. It then reopened as Fuk Tak Chi Museum, which is now part of Far East Square, to showcases Chinese history and culture, particularly what is related to Telok Ayer Street. The National Heritage Board and Far East Organisation jointly canvassed artefacts from the public to be exhibited at the museum and created programmes to generate awareness about the Chinese culture in Singapore.

The Fuk Tak Chi Museum is an example of how gentrified Singapore has become. Gone are the smoke and grime - and some say, character - of the temple. In 1998, they were all replaced by clean, neat, polished wood, all at a cost of S$200,000. Despite it having lost its use as a temple, the Fuk Tak Chi Museum is still worth a visit, if just to see what the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore looked like.

Today the Fuk Tak Chi Temple is part of the Far East Square development, looking like another trophy on Singapore's mantelpiece. If you are looking for a functional Chinese temple nearby, head for either the Yueh Hai Ching Temple or the Thian Hock Keng Temple.

Getting there

The Telok Ayer MRT Station (DT18) is just 100 meters away.

Fuk Tak Chi Museum is on the Map of Telok Ayer, Singapore

Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Miniatures at the Fuk Tak Chi Museum (11 September, 2010)


Fuk Tak Chi Temple in the 1950s (photo on wall of museum)
© Fuk Tak Chi Museum

Fuk Tak Chi Museum of Google Street View

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.