Taoism in Singapore

Taoism in Singapore is the religion of about 8.8% of the country's entire population as per the 2020 census. The definition of "Taoism" in the country is included as part of the wider Chinese folk religion. In general, nearly all adherents of Taoism in Singapore are associated with the mainstream Zhengyi school. Larger proportion of older residents adhere to Taoism, as compared with those in younger age groups. The Taoist Federation of Singapore was first established in 1990 to promote greater public awareness and understanding of the Taoist culture and traditions. Although there are over one thousand Chinese temples in Singapore, only around five hundred-forty Taoist temples and organisations are affiliated to the Taoist Federation. Taoism first arrived in Singapore with the first Chinese settlers to the country. The majority of these settlers worshipped Mazu (媽祖) to guide them safely in on their arrival in a new foreign country. Taoist practice later flourished as an increasing number of Chinese merchants and coolies settled in Singapore. Many Taoist followers worship bodhisattva as well as Taoism and Buddhism have traditionally enjoyed a peaceful coexistence, thereby leading to obscured delineation between the two religions. Subsequently, with the rise of Buddhist activists in the 1980s, the pool of faithful who worship both Taoist deities and Buddha realigned to declare themselves as Buddhists even if they were primarily worshipping Taoist deities (defined as families which worship Taoist deities at home). This led to a statistical decline in the Taoist population in Singapore. However, any attempt to deny Taoism its right as a religion of its own is dubious owing to the substantially growing and unreported numbers of youngsters embracing the faith. Taoism itself forms part of the nucleus of Chinese traditions amongst Chinese Singaporeans, many folk practices are also adopted by some of the Chinese Buddhists. Chinese Deities like Lord Guan, Xuan Tian Shang Di, and Tua Pek Kong are some of the most popular deities among Taoist adherents and the local Chinese community.