应以英文介绍庙宇文史价值

The Singapore Tourism Board launched the Step Out Singapore campaign last month with the aim of encouraging Singaporeans to go out and spend as well as tour local attractions.

　　Tour agencies, clan groups and the National Kidney Foundation also organised cruises down the Singapore River and the highlights included visits to Yueh Hai Ching Temple and Fuk Tak Chi Temple （which has now become the Fuk Tak Chi Museum）。

　　I was invited as a guide and was disappointed to find many Singaporeans, especially the young ones, ignorant of these monuments which are more than a hundred years old.

　　Besides, they also have misconceptions about temples.

　　To help them understand the cultural significance of Chinese temples, English explanatory notes should be provided for relics with historical value like stone tablets.

　　Mention temples and many will conjure up an image of blackened pillars, beams and wooden plaques and the many Taoist deities placed high on a pedestal. To them, temples are inseparable from “superstition”。

　　The truth is, seen from a traditional and historical perspective, Chinese temples here have served many useful and unique social functions. Worshipping is only one of them.

　　Historically, Chinese temples have been closely associated with our pioneers and the emergence and evolution of the Chinese community.

　　Chinese temples provide vital information and invaluable records for an understanding of the contribution of the Chinese towards the early development of Singapore.

　　It is often said that we should respect and remember the pioneering efforts of thousands of “anonymous” heroes in the early years.

　　Well, they are not “nameless” as such. It's just that we do not who they are. Where then can we trace their names？

　　Just visit the few more-than-hundred-year-old Chinese temples here and you will find their names inscribed on stone tablets - for making donations either in cash or in kind to the construction of these temples.

　　The donors were not just the rich, many were hawkers and labourers and some were even involved physically in building the temples. All this was done in the true spirit of everyone doing his bit for society.

　　Surely, the devotion and efforts of the pioneers in building temples cannot be dismissed as mere superstition.

　　Apart from being places of worship, a deeper appreciation of these old temples will help us discover that they have served important social functions.

　　Firstly, they were early forms of “community and information centres”。

　　Before the existence of clan associations, temples were places where Chinese immigrants gathered to exchange news and build relationships and find solace when they felt homesick. These temples which are modelled on those back in their hometown gave them the comforting feeling of “home”。

　　Secondly, temples also served as charitable organisations at that time. The donations collected were often used to help the poor and sick.

　　Sometimes, donation drives were also organised to raise funds for victims of natural disasters in China.

　　Both Yueh Hai Ching Temple and Fuk Tak Chi Temple had done so in early 20th century and were even honoured with inscriptions from Emperor Guangxu for their efforts.

　　Thirdly, temples were the source of financial support for many Chinese schools.

　　Some rural schools were started by temples and permanent stages set up for opera singing on the birthdays of Chinese deities were used as classrooms when there was no performance.

　　Lastly, temples are the predecessors of clan associations. For example, the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan was first set up within the Thian Hock Keng Temple. At times, they are “twins” as in the case of the Singapore Hainan Huay Kuan and Kiung Chow Tin Hou Kong.

　　The temples here may resemble those in China, but as they were built by Chinese immigrants, it was inevitable that they also display traits different from temples in China. The same goes for Chinese culture here which originates from China but has developed its own peculiar features.

　　Chinese temples here are a microcosm of the history of Chinese immigrants and deserved to be studied in-depth.

　　。The writer is an Executive Sub-editor / Repotrer of Lianhe Zaobao. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.

　　前些日子,旅游局开展“出门乐逍遥”计划,不仅鼓励人们出外消费,还鼓励大家游览本地的名胜古迹。旅行社、社团、全国肾脏基金会主办了几次“新加坡河历史之旅”,行程中有粤海清庙与福德祠（在直落亚逸街,现为小型民俗博物馆）。

　　我受邀当讲解员,发现到好多新加坡人（尤其是年轻人）,对这些具有百余年历史的古迹一无所知,对于华人庙宇存有种种误解,令我感慨万千。

　　为了帮助新一代新加坡人了解华人庙宇的文化历史意义,庙宇的一些有历史价值的文物（如石碑）有英文说明。

　　一提起庙宇,人们马上想到的是被香火熏黑的柱梁、牌匾,一尊尊高高在上的神像,似乎都跟“迷信”二字分不开。其实,从民俗与历史的角度来看,本地华人庙宇具有多种特殊的社会功能,供奉神明,仅仅是其中一种功能。

　　百多年来,华人庙宇跟新加坡的开埠先驱,以及华社的形成与演变是分不开的。要了解与研究早期华人开发新加坡的历史,庙宇给我们提供了宝贵的线索,并且还保留了许多珍贵的原始纪录。

　　人们常说开发新加坡的千千万万无名英雄,值得我们尊敬与缅怀,所谓“无名”,只是“不知其名”,他们当然是有名有姓的。到哪里可以查到这些先驱者的名字呢？请到几所历史有百年以上的华人庙宇去走一走,看一看,你就会发现,他们的名字都刻在记载捐款捐物者名单的石碑上。

　　这当中除了富商之外,还有不少人是小商贩与劳工,他们有的捐款,有的捐物,还有的是建庙时义务劳动,这真正是“有钱出钱,有里出力,有一分热,发一分光”。

　　开发新加坡的先驱对庙宇那么热心,不能用“拜神迷信”四个字就能概括得了。

　　深入了解与分析就不难发现,新加坡这些历史悠久的华人庙宇除了供奉神明之外,还具有以下几种社会功能：

　　一、它是古代的民众联络所、资讯中心。在华人未成立社团之前,能让来自中国的移民聚集在一起的地方,就是庙宇。大家聚在庙宇的四周互通信息,联络感情。庙宇也是他们舒解乡愁的地方,是心灵的避风港。走进按照家乡的神庙面貌与布局建造的庙宇,他们就有回到家乡的感觉。

　　二、庙宇是早期的慈善机构,庙宇不时拿出香油钱来救济贫病无助者,还筹集义款赈济中国的灾民。如粤海清庙与天福宫,都曾在20世纪初筹集义款救济中国水灾灾民,光绪皇帝还因此题词送予这两座庙。

　　三、庙宇是早年好多华校的经济支柱,有些乡村学校是庙宇开办的,演酬神戏的戏台平日充当学校课室。

　　四、庙宇还是会馆的前身,或是像孪生兄弟一样,神庙与会馆同时诞生。如福建会馆最初就设在天福宫内,又如海南会馆与琼州天后宫,就是一对“孪生兄弟”。

　　新加坡华人庙宇虽然源于中国,但是,由于它是由远离中国的早年移民所建,必然具有浓厚的移民色彩,那是中国本土的庙宇不可能具有的。这种源于中国又异于中国的情况,不正是新加坡华族文化源于中国又异于中国的反映吗？

　　华人南来史就蕴藏在百年庙宇中,庙宇丰富的历史文化积淀,值得人们好好发掘,深入研究。