“Mapping Women’s Religious Heritage in Singapore” is a project that aims to locate and document Chinese temples in Singapore that were established and maintained by women since the late 19th century until today. Through historicizing Chinese female temples in Singapore, this project is one of the first efforts to reposition, reform and renegotiate Chinese women’s religious heritage in Singapore. By incorporating a gendered lens in the exploration of religious and socio-cultural networks, we study seemingly invisible links i.e. long-distance divination practice, and materialized links i.e. letters, trips to the ancestral village, monetary contribution, etc., in the making of female connections, religious leadership, temple alliances and cross-faith interaction.

PI & Co-PI(s): Show Ying Ruo & Kenneth Dean

Funding Agency: National Heritage Board Heritage Research Grant
Project Duration: 1 August 2020 – 31 July 2022