All work

Harmony or Habit?
Inter-Religious CoexistenceSouth Bridge Road, Chinatown, Singapore

My study looks at Masjid Jamae (Chulia), Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore's Chinatown.

Skip summary to read full field study report

39Unique participants

4Sessions

3Sites

Study period

My fieldwork ran from 28 Aug to 4 Oct 2026, in two phases.

Phase 1

Baseline

28 Aug to 8 Sep

Phase 2

Participatory action research

11 Sep to 4 Oct

The Chinatown Inter-Faith Harmony Action Circle was founded on 11 Sep and held four weekly sessions across three weeks.

Research question

I ask: where is the line between “harmony” and simply becoming accustomed to difference?

02 · Key findings

Everyday practices
of coexistence.

Shopkeepers

Commercial adaptation over religious friction

Store owners interpret religious events through a practical commercial framework.

“Tension? No lah, we don't think about religion when the crowds come... It's just lunch peak hours to us.”

Kopitiam owner, South Bridge Road

02 · Sri Mariamman Temple trustees + Jamae (Chulia) Mosque board officers

Proactive channels between religious leaders

Direct messaging groups and advance notice around festivals and building works.

“Because we have each other's direct numbers, small issues get resolved in 5 minutes before they ever turn into complaints.”

Mosque board secretary

Congregants

Normalisation among congregants

Shared worship space is an ordinary part of daily life, with small adjustments that are not framed as compromise.

“If they have a big event, we adjust our walking route.”

Buddhist devotee

04 · Field figures

Along South Bridge Road.

Aerial map showing Masjid Jamae (Chulia), Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore's Chinatown — FIG. 01Aerial map of the three sites

Masjid Jamae (Chulia) entrance and signboard displaying text in four scripts — FIG. 02Masjid Jamae (Chulia), signboard in four scripts

Colorful gopuram above the entrance to Sri Mariamman Temple — FIG. 03Sri Mariamman Temple gopuram

Temple doorway with a sign reading No footwear beyond this point in Tamil and English — FIG. 04Temple doorway and footwear sign in Tamil and English

Entrance to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple — FIG. 05Buddha Tooth Relic Temple entrance

Inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, people sit facing a shrine amid red columns and offerings — FIG. 06Worshippers seated in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha statues and rows of offerings inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple — FIG. 07Buddha statues and offerings inside the temple

On Mosque Street: Douglas Chiong with a Buddhist monk and a Dawah officer — FIG. 08On Mosque St.: A Buddhist monk, Dawah Officer, and me

Five participants seated around a table, writing on activity sheets during an outdoor session — FIG. 09Chinatown Inter-Faith Harmony Action Circle icebreaker session

05 · Full report

Continue reading the field study.

Read the full report (PDF)

Direct link: reports/chinatown-field-study.pdf