CRITICAL HERITAGE STUDIES AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION PRACTICES IN SINGAPORE: A CASE STUDY OF THE FIRST UNITED TEMPLE, UNITED FIVE TEMPLES 批判性遗产研究理论与新加坡遗产保护实践——以第一座联合庙“伍合庙”为 例

In the context of Singapore, Chinese temples considered as heritage often refer to historically significant temples that have become national monuments, such as Yueh Hai Ching Temple(粤海清庙), Thian Hock Keng(天福宫), and Hong San See Temple(凤山寺). However, temples like the United Five Temples(伍合庙), despite being the first of the United Temples and playing a crucial role in the integration of rural temples and land acquisition policies in Singapore, are rarely regarded as having heritage value. Recently, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has started to designate buildings constructed in the 1970s, such as the Golden Mile Complex (1973) and People's Park Complex (1970), as Conserved Buildings. These buildings were constructed around the same time as the United Five Temples (伍合庙). This new attitude of the Singapore government towards the conservation of modern architecture provides an opportunity to re-evaluate the heritage value of the United Five Temples and other United Temples. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential heritage value of the United Five Temples, using critical heritage studies as a theoretical framework. It also reflects on the existing issues in Singapore's heritage conservation practices, with the goal of offering new perspectives for the country's heritage conservation efforts. This research employs a combination of literature review and fieldwork to analyze the existing heritage assessment models and conservation policies, assessing the historical significance and current conservation status of the United Five Temples (伍合庙). Additionally, the author conducted interviews with the council group of the temple to collect primary data and gain a deeper understanding of the temple's role and significance within the community. The findings reveal that although the United Five Temples(伍合庙) have not been designated as a conserved building, they serve as a tangible medium for intangible heritage, demonstrating significant community value. The people's deep emotional attachment and cultural identification with the temple are indispensable aspects of heritage value assessment. This highlights the importance of considering intangible culture and enhancing community participation in heritage recognition and conservation, prompting significant reflection on Singapore's heritage conservation practices.

Author dc:creator

• HUANG SHUNA

Advisor dc:contributor.supervisor

• HO PUAY PENG

• Heritage conservation
• Critical heritage studies
• United Temples
• United Five Temples
• Community value

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/317496

OAI record oai:identifier

https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ascholarbank.nus.edu.sg%3A10635%2F317496