Unlike most other temples in Yishun and Sembawang, the temples in this combined temple, completed in 1997, did not originate from this area. Instead, one hails from Bukit Timah and the other from Jalan Besar.
At the entrance of this temple, you can see eight leaping carps mounted on the gates, and two dragons on the roof of the temple. This refers to the Chinese belief that carp transform into dragons when they leap over the Dragon’s Gate, as temple gates are referred to. The carp’s persistence is often represented by nine leaps. In front of the temple stand three pillars, each carved from a single block of granite. The pillars represent Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, which can be seen from the carvings.
Chee Hoon Sun Kong Chee Hoon Sun Kong started as a shrine at Dairy Farm Road in Bukit Timah in 1963 and relocated to Yishun due to redevelopment. In this new temple, stone is used extensively as Chinese believe that gods dwell in caves. Its altar is carved from a single block of granite which weighs 17 tonnes. The temple is dedicated to the three schools of teachings in Chinese culture – Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Here, you can see the 24 Confucian filial pieties engraved on granite slabs.
Cheow Leng Beo This temple began as a small altar in the mid-1800s in the coolie quarters for Henghua migrants from Jiangdou village, China. The quarters at Weld Road, Jalan Besar, was where new Henghua migrants stayed and received help when they first came to Singapore. These migrants from Jiangdou village are known for dominating the transport industry from rickshaws and bicycles to taxis and buses. The peak of their influence was in the 1970s, when the industry was almost entirely controlled by Jiangdou people. According to temple records, the first two Jiangdou migrants came between 1862 and 1874. Most probably, they brought with them their deity, Liu Jin Shen Hou, for protection. As the coolies grew more affluent, they rented a shophouse at Weld Road to house the deities. Due to redevelopment in the 1990s, the temple moved first to Serangoon Road and later to Yishun. This temple is also known as the Ong temple as Jiangdou people are of the surname ‘Ong’. The temple observes some unusual practices, such as holding five-day retreats for male members during which the temple is closed off to visitors. Temple offerings are also unique to Henghua temples, such as large pastries made in the shape of a turtle.