The Cantonese temple on Sims Drive and the pre-war bungalows in Adam Park have been preserved

SINGAPORE: One of the oldest Cantonese temples in Singapore will be preserved, along with 19 pre-war bungalows in Adam Park.

The Mun San Fook Tuck Chee temple on Sims Drive was founded by immigrant communities, mostly of Cantonese origin, in the 1860s. It was moved to its current location in 1902 when the trustees purchased the land to build the temple on the banks of the Kallang River.

Meanwhile, the pre-war bungalows at Adam Park were built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1929 as housing for the families of City Council and SIT officers.

Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), II. He said they have remained largely intact since World War II.

Announcing the URA’s proposal to preserve the two sites, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said on Friday (Nov 8) that even as Singapore plans its future, it should seek to include significant heritage in its development plans.

“An important way of doing this is to preserve buildings and structures of the highest significance to serve as a physical and visual link to our past,” he told the URA Architectural Heritage Awards.

“By preserving such buildings and structures, we hope to preserve physical reminders of the shared history and memories of our nation, our communities, and our people.

“This fosters a deeper bond between Singaporeans that binds us together and strengthens our national identity.”

Protected buildings are subject to certain URA rules. Permission is required for all change works and new use of the area to begin.