Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

                                

Between 1920 and 1921, the Phor Kark See Monastery was built on the a plot of land in Thomson Road donated by Tay Woo Seng, a Chinese businessmen. It was the first traditional Chinese forest monastery to be built in Singapore. Since Phor Kark See Monastery is situated at Kong Meng San ("Bright Hill", formerly "Hai Nan Mountain"), it has come to be known as "Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery". The original temple consisted of a two-storey building, a shrine room, a visitors' room and living quarters. The Monastery expanded steadily over time as philanthropists like Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par donated funds to the monastery for its expansion.

In 1947, Hong Choon became the monastery's abbot. Under his leadership, the monastery's complex expanded from two shrine halls to include the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas and prayer halls that are as large as ten football fields.^{[citation needed]} He also progressively developed and expanded the monastery with his followers into the largest and most majestic place of practice in Singapore.

In 1980, the temple began to build Evergreen Bright Hill Home, which opened in 1983, with the donation of S$5.3 million from Hong Choon's followers, He Hui Zhong's family's company.

On 15 January 2002, the temple announced a Compassion Fund to provide financial assistance to retrenched workers with a last drawn pay of up to $2,500, and who do not qualify for other aid schemes.

On 5 June 2004, Kwang Sheng became the monastery's present abbot. Under Kwang Sheng's leadership, the Dharma Propagation Division was set up for Singaporeans to learn Buddhism and practice the Dharma in relevant ways. The Youth Ministry KMSPKS Youth, was set up to serve as a platform for Singaporean youths who want to know about Buddhism, learn Buddhism and serve the society via Buddhist teachings.

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery opened the Buddhist College of Singapore on 13 September 2006. As the country's first Buddhist college, it offers a four-year bachelor's degree in Buddhism. Lessons were held on temple grounds until a new $35 million five-storey building is completed.

In May 2007, Kwang Sheng released a musical album titled Buddha Smiles. In the same year in October 2007, the temple was one of seven religious groups ordered by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) to open their books to auditors. With an annual income of $14.95 million, it had one of the largest incomes among the charities under the COC's direct purview. Its main income sources were crematorium and columbarium services, prayer services and donations. Between November 2007 till June 2008, the monastery also reportedly gave free meals to about 200 daily, clarifying their prayer and meditation practices instead of relying on probable means of incomes such as exorcism.

On June 21, 2008, the temple raised over $1 million for the reconstruction of schools devastated in the May 12 Sichuan earthquake, by organising the Great Compassion; Great Aspiration Charity Show.

In April 2009, the temple launched 'Gum', an English-language magazine, to bridge the gap between their older Hokkien-speaking devotees and English-speaking youth. The magazine title is a transliteration of a Hokkien term which means "to get along", and symbolises unity within the congregation. The temple partnered Chuan Pictures, a new production house set up in March 2009 by local filmmaker Royston Tan, for a 15-minute Mandarin short film, "Little Note". It premiered in September 2009 and focuses on a single mother who gives her son inspirational notes