“Have you heard of ghost marriages?” The Seng Wong Beo Temple is known for them. But there is so much more to explore in this Taoist temple. Let’s step inside.
The Seng Wong Beo Temple’s story began humbly. Back in 1898 devotees first worshipped in a simple wooden house. Today it stands lavishly decorated with gilded green tiles and blazing red lanterns. It is located in the heart of Singapore’s central business district.
This temple’s history is closely linked to Khoo Seok Wan and Reverend Swee Oi. Khoo was a literary scholar. Swee Oi served as abbot at Hong San See Temple. They admired each other greatly and became close friends.
Khoo financed the rebuilding and opening of the Seng Wong Beo Temple in 1905. Artisans and materials came from China. The temple was built to look like those in Southern China.
The Seng Wong Beo Temple uniquely blends Buddhist and Taoist worship. It incorporates traditional Chinese architecture. Here you will find the Provincial City God. He protects the living and is patron saint of the departed. Other deities include the White Tiger General, Yama King, and Azure Dragon.
After its construction Khoo and Swee often discussed poetry and art. The temple even served as working space for Swee’s disciples for a while. The Singapore government acquired the temple grounds in 1985.
An interesting fact is hidden behind a wooden tablet inside. In 1907 the Chinese Consul of Singapore, Tsao Ping Lung, gifted the temple a tablet he wrote himself. You can still see it today.
Reverend Swee Oi founded the Seng Wong Beo Temple. He saw the suffering of Chinese laborers. They worked hard as rickshaw pullers. They felt lonely and homesick. He built this temple for them. It was a place to worship and pray for their loved ones in China.
The Seng Wong Beo Temple is dedicated to Cheng Huang. He is the patron deity that protects the city. Cheng Huang guides the dead into the underworld. The temple has conducted ghost marriages for over a hundred years.
The ritual addresses Taoist beliefs about the afterlife. Only the married can eat at the table in Hell. Unmarried spirits and miscarried fetuses must eat under the table. A ghost marriage improves their status. It gives them meal tickets in Hell.
These marriages happen when the dead ask living relatives for a match. Lots are cast and dreams are interpreted to find a suitable partner. The altar is filled with paper items for the dead like furniture and cars. Paper figures of the couple stand before the temple deity. Finally the gifts are burned.
The Seng Wong Beo Temple stopped the practice eight years ago. The temple had paired ghost couples based on their cause of death. Sometimes a groom would appear in a dream. He would tell his parents who he wanted to marry. He would lead them to the bride’s address. Non-Chinese people also requested this service.
The City God guards the city from evil. Devotees pray for peace and prosperity. They also pray for good health. The City God rewards good deeds and punishes the wicked. The Seng Wong Beo Temple remains a place of solace for many. It is truly a unique place in Singapore.