Religion in Singapore
Singapore is a multicultural immigrant society, so it brings together many religions in the world. And that's the reason why people call Singapore a melting pot of cultures and religions. Buddhism is the largest religion in Singapore. Other religions are Christianity, Taoism, Islam, and Hinduism, depending on the population. For more information, this article about religion in Singapore will be helpful.
Brief Introduction
Singapore implements a religious freedom policy, and the government encourages religious harmony among different religions in Singapore. Religious Singaporeans account for 83% of the population. There are various religious buildings in Singapore, and many historic temples have been listed as national monuments, and there are various celebrations every year, which are associated with different religions.
Buddhism is the most followed religion in Singapore, accounting for about 33.2% of the population, Taoism accounts for 10% of the population, Catholics and Christians account for 18% of the population, Islam accounts for 14% of the population, and Hinduism accounts for 5% of the population of Singapore.
Buddhism
Buddhism in Singapore is the country's largest religion, and the major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore include Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Among them, Mahayana Buddhism is the most prevalent form. Most Buddhists are Chinese, along with Thai and Burmese. There are many Buddhist centers and temples around in Singapore, and the Kong Meng San Phor Kar See Monastery is the largest Chinese Mahayana Buddhist temple in Singapore.
Kong Meng San Phor Kar See Monastery
Taoism
Taoism in Singapore accounts for 10% of the population, and there are more than 300 large and small temples in the territory. Thian Hock Keng Temple is the oldest Taoist temple in the world. Taoism is based on the philosophy of Laozi, who was a famous Chinese philosopher. It is brought to Singapore by the Chinese immigrants, and the Yin and Yang theory is derived from Taoism. Taoism encourages people to honor their ancestors, be compassionate towards others, and respect the heaven.
Thian Hock Keng Temple
Christianity
Singapore's Christians (Protestant and Catholic) accounted for 18% of the total population. In addition to Europeans, there are also many Christians among Chinese and Indians. The earliest churches in Singapore are the Armenian Church, and St. Andrew's Church. Built in the 1830s, the Armenian Church is the oldest Christian Church in Singapore, which is visited by millions of people from all over the world. There are about 30 Catholic churches in Singapore, and some of those churches have successively opened schools, hospitals, and charity organizations to take care of the interests of disadvantaged groups.
Armenian Church
Islam
Malays and Arabs are mostly Muslims, and there are some Indians and Chinese who believe in Islam. When they came to Singapore, devout Muslims established many mosques in various places, among which Hajjah Fatimah Mosque and Masjid Sultan are the more famous ones. Every Friday, Muslims go to the mosque to pray. Every year, all Muslims warmly celebrate the birthday of their Prophet Muhammad. And they will take part in the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. What's more, Eid al-Fitr and Haji are major festivals for Muslims.
Masjid Sultan
Hinduism
Indians mainly believe in Hinduism, and most of them are descendants of the migrant workers who moved to Singapore during the 19th and 20th centuries. Hindus have established many temples in Singapore, such as the Chettiar Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple. Built in 1827, Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, which is still served as a focal point for rituals and festivals. Major Hindu festivals are Deepavali, Thaipusam, Navratri, and Tamil New Year. You can experience their culture in Little India.
Sri Mariamman Temple