Restoration or Renovation?
The Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Starting out as a makeshift shrine, the Yueh Hai Ching temple was built in the 1850s by immigrants from China. It is Singapopre’s oldest Teochew temple, and was gazetted as a National Monument in 1996. During the temples restoration in 2011, experts in timber, ceramics, gilding and frescoes carried out extensive research to ensure authentic materials and traditional construction techniques from China were used. In 2014, the temple received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Award of Merit for its commendable restoration efforts.
Behind the Scenes with Assistant Professor Yeo Kong Shua
During their visit to the Yueh Hai Ching Temple, students form the University of Canberra had the opportunity to meet Assistant Professor Yeo Kong Shua from the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Professor Yeo Kong Shua gave a behind the scenes talk about conservation within temple, which was then followed by a guided tour to reinforce many of the conservation and preservation techniques previously discussed.
The Yueh Hai Ching Temple is one of the oldest temples in Singapore, and was set up in the early days of Singapore to render the lifestyles of the migrants from China.
The temple was built by immigrants (seafarers and merchants), who set up the temple to express their gratitude to Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea. Travelling by boat, these immigrants brought with them statues of their deities. Unlike China where the statues are monumental, this temple is home to much smaller statues that the immigrants were able to transport to Singapore by sea.
Decoration & Construction
The temple has a unique design and is highly decorative, especially with ceramic ornamentation that was used to show how wealthy they were.
The owner of the temple hired the best Chinese craftsmen to build the temple. There was a competition between the two craftsmen, and each one would design and build half of the temple each. This is why the temple is not completely symmetrical to the front gate.
Roof construction designed well, with two layers of tiles. Outside roof tiles have a 60% overlap, are very durable and have a high clay content to prevent water penetration. The inside roof tiles have an 80% overlap, are very fragile with a high sand content and low clay content.
There is ventilation in the temple, which is why there are air wells. However, this creates problems with the deterioration (from the water and light) of the artworks in or around the air wells.
Modern lighting was necessary to minimise the use of candle lighting and prevent fire hazards. However, any new lighting or wiring cables were placed underground.
The temple’s first full-scale restoration occurred in 2011. During this restoration, expert craftsmen in timber, ceramics, gilding and frescoes carried out extensive research to ensure authentic materials and traditional construction techniques from were used.
Renovation over restoration!
The paintings, wall artworks, doors and decorative elements were cleaned & consolidated. Any overpainting that was done is reversible.
Metal bracketing was used to restore the golden artworks under the pillars. It was then painted to match the rest of the golden decoration.
Tension tie cables were used around the wooden pillars to keep them confined, and to prevent splitting and warping. The removal of the entire column was considered, but was thought to be unnecessary.
The ceramic ornaments were in bad shape. They were chips, discolouration, paint loss, cracks and some were even headless. These ceramics were restored. However, the ceramic ornamentation of the ridge of the roof was left in unrestored condition.
Historical records were used to assist in the accuracy of repair/restoration. If not historical records exist, knowledge of historical era is used.
Biggest Problems in the Tropics
The construction work occurring in the areas around the temple are causing cracking in the walls and objects inside the temple itself.
Changes in the water table in Singapore causes a lot of problems for historical buildings. Inside the temple, plaster peeling has occurred.
Air pollution and soot causes a lot of discolouration on the roof ornamentation, inside air wells, on temple pillars and decorative pieces.
Note: All information recorded from Assistant Professor Yeo Kong Shua’s presentation.
