Contributed by Fuhua Secondary School

Subject: Ang Chee Sia Ong Temple Qing Long Ye Miao (a.k.a Green Dragon Temple)
Address: 131, West Coast Drive, Singapore (128014)
Division: Ayer Rajah-West Coast

The History:

It traces back to early ancestors in Canton Province Teochew District, Han Jiang China.When they came to Singapore, they brought the incense of the temple together with them.
The temple started at Pasir Panjang 7 milestones (Yang Tao Yuan – Pasir Panjang district). In the 80s when the place was not yet developed, the area was a kampong with some wooden houses and small provision shops. The villagers were mainly fishermen. A few were businessmen and labourers.
The villagers were a devoted lot who gave their offerings regularly and celebrated Qing Long Ye’s birthday every year.

Significance of the Name:

Ang Chee Sia Ong (An Qi Sheng Wang) was a legendary man who was believed to have fought against the Cao army during the era of the 3 Kingdoms. He was a man of justice who was loyal to his country and fair to those under him. As a result, generations after him conferred him the title of Ang Chee Sia Ong in dialect.

Significance of the Location:

Water has been a crucial element in the location of the temple.

"The Dragon temple was to bless the fishermen at Tuas and Pasir Panjang out at sea. Therefore it needed to be next to a water source. Coincidentally, this current location is also next to a water source which is a canal."
- Vice-chairman and chairman

Significance of Temple Architecture:

1. The Presence of Dragons
There are more than 100 dragons in the temple. They can be found guarding the main gate, soaring around the roof, along the bridge in the temple and around the pillars. The presence of dragons is linked to the belief that the Green Dragon was the transformation of Ang Chee Sia Ong.

2. The Carp and the Dragon Gate
There are two carps that can be found on the temple’s gates. Above the carps are 2 creatures with the head of a carp and the body of a dragon.

There is a beautiful story to it: Legend says that there is a mountain called the Dragon Gate Mountain in China. It was said that every year, carps would gather at the foot of the mountain to compete among themselves as to who would jump the highest. Those who made it and jumped across would become dragons. Only 72 carps made it annually. Once they made it to the dragon gate, the carp’s tail would be burnt by fire that originated from the sky. It would thus leave no trace of the fact that the dragon was once a carp.

3. The Bridge (Dragon Luck Bridge)
The bridge holds 2 water spewing dragons. The dragons will spew water when someone steps on the bridge. The word“dragon” represents the green dragon of the temple while the “luck” represents good luck to the person who crosses it.