One of the noticeable buildings in Singapore is the Chinese church or Temple, which for splendour in its wealthy appointments stands very high among the celestials. There are three or four churches or joss houses of some pretensions, but the one par excellence is situated in “Teluk Ayer” street and is call in Chinese “Tien Hok Kiong” or the palace of God.

The exterior has nothing very remarkable beyond any other building of a similar description, but the interior is very gaudy with vermillion and gold as may be judged from the fact that upwards of Forty thousand Dollars have been a few months since expended on its decorations.

The principal building in which the Joss is placed stands detached in the upper end of a quadrangular paved Granite Court and is surrounded on three sides, by a kind of portico with a lean to roof on a dead outer wall and the inside open, and supported by richly carved granite pillars cut out of one piece of stone. Two roofed wall, most elaborately carved, & ornamented are carried down from each gable of the centre building to another in front, thus forming an inner court, nearly square and open overhead between the principal temple, and the one last named.

This latter building although very elaborately ornamented and supported on both sides by carved granite columns, is not so lofty or so broad as the centre one and merely serves the purpose of a grand entrance or reception hall, being used only on particular occasions.

The entrance commonly used opening into the outer court. In this latter Court and under the Portico’s on the three sides are placed Josses of minor importance. Those on the upper sides or immediately behind the chief building being the most richly ornamented. The whole structure however is on a very small scale and does not cover an area of more than perhaps of 2 to 3000 square feet.

The arrangement of the building will be better understood by reference to the ground plan or diagram on the following page and Sketch X is a representation of the interior of the main building.

The officiating Priests receive no regular stipends, but get all the offerings to the Joss, and every Chinese New Year, they take a book round to their parishioners. A Priest may be always distinguished from a layman by having no tail and his head closely shaven all round.

Sketch X
A. Priests & other officials apartments
B. Open court with fountain
C. Principal Joss
D. Minor Josses
E. Inner or principal Temple
G. Offering Tables
H. Reception Hall
I. Main Entrance
K. Priests Entrances

新加坡最引人注目的建筑之一是华人教堂或寺庙，其富丽堂皇的设备显示它在天朝子民（华人）中地位崇高。这里有三、四所教堂或寺庙，但其中最出色的一所位于直落亚逸街，被称为天福宫或上帝的宫殿。

其外观相较其他类似的建筑并没有什么特别之处，但它内部朱红色和金色的装饰却非常华丽，这点从这几个月来实际花在装饰上的四万多元就可看出。

供奉主神的主建筑（大殿）独立于一个四方形铺有地砖的花岗岩台阁上，三面环绕着门廊，门廊的外壁和内侧都是空敞的，由一整块花岗岩精雕细琢出来的石柱所支撑。门廊上有一个倾斜的屋顶。两个屋顶的墙，雕琢得最为精巧，装饰得最为精美，从中心建筑的每个山墙向下延伸到前面的另一个山墙。这样就形成了一个中庭，几乎是方形的，在主建筑和上述中心建筑之间的上方敞开着。

后一幢建筑（三川殿）虽然装饰得很精致，两侧都有雕花的花岗石柱子支撑着，但却没有中间主殿那么高，那么宽，只是作为一个大厅入口或迎宾阁，只在特定的场合使用。它通常用来通向外庭的入口。在后述的庭院里以及三面门廊下，供奉着几尊小神。供奉在上端或主建筑内的神像装饰得最为华丽。然而，整个建筑的规模非常小，占地面积可能不超过2至3000平方英尺。

通过参考下一页的平面图或草图，可以更好地理解建筑物的布置，平面图X代表了主建筑的内部。主祭僧人没有固定的酬劳，但所有神祗的缘捐收归其所有。而且每年农历新年，他们都会带一本献捐册向信徒募款。一名僧人与普通人的区别在于他没有辫子，而且头剃得很光……

平面图X
A: 僧人与庙祝宿舍
B: 露天庭院与喷泉
C: 主神坛
D: 副神坛
E: 内殿或主殿
G: 供桌
H: 迎宾阁
I: 正门入口
K: 僧人入口