After operating for 12 years in the Lion City, Tzu Chi Singapore finally opens its own Jing Si Hall on 30th October, 2005.
In recent years, the rapid development and expansion of the branch in Singapore attracted a great number of new volunteers. Its old premises at Chinatown could no longer provide sufficient space to accommodate the bigger crowd. Therefore, a piece of land in Pasir Ris was specially selected to be the new location for the Jing Si Hall. Now, standing erect by the flowing Sungai Api-api, with its back against part of Tampines Expressway (TPE) on a small hill, Jing Si Hall is a new landmark in the east of Singapore.
The design of the three-storey Jing Si Hall including its macadam walls and porch shaped like the Chinese character – “ren” or “human being” reflects Tzu Chi’s distinctive qualities. As you enter the Hall, you are greeted by a gigantic picture of the Abode of Still Thoughts (Tzu Chi HQ in Taiwan). The sight warms the hearts of Tzu Chi people as they would feel as if they had returned to their spiritual home.
Jing Si Hall has a full range of amenities. Besides a cultural exhibition hall, Jing Si Book Hut, Continuing Education Centre, and multi-purpose classrooms, there is also a large hall on Level 3 with a seating capacity of 500. In this hall, the two-storey high picture - “Buddha Purifying the World” – forms a magnificent backdrop for the stage and is a sublime sight to behold.
Since the opening of Jing Si Hall, a number of “Spreading Great Love to the World” sessions as well as camps and training programs for its volunteers have been held there. Classes and fun-filled activities for children, teenagers, and tertiary students, i.e., Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth, are also held periodically. Tzu Chi volunteers clad in their “Blue Sky White Clouds” uniforms busily involved themselves in various activities and tasks at the Hall, creating a heart-warming and touching sight. Members of Tzu Chi Foundation visited the Hall every day. They are warmly received by volunteers on duty at the reception, and are able to gain a deeper understanding of Tzu Chi through the latter’s guidance and explanation.
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When Jing Si Hall was still under construction, it already had many visitors.
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The picture of the Abode of Still Thoughts in the Cultural Hall makes Tzu Chi volunteers feel as if they had returned to their spiritual home.
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Master Long Gen, a renowned and highly respected Dharma master in Singapore, hosted the ground-breaking ceremony of the new Jing Si Hall. |
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Every brick and beam of the new Jing Si Hall is a product of Great Love. |
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The Dharma Hall at Level 3 has a tranquil yet solemn ambience. |
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The garden outside Jing Si Hall is the fruits of many volunteers’ painstaking effort. |
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