The architectural features of Foot Tet Soo is hidden with suprises. The finial ends of the roof ridge know as the 'juancao'(curly grass) is textured with cockle shells (seehum)! Now this is truly a product of local taste! Cockles are served in a variety of Chinese food in Singapore. You find them in Laksa, Satay Beehoon and not to forget, Teochew Char Kuey Teow. If you perceptable enough, you should be able to spot a phoenix and peony flowers along the elaborately decorated roof ridge. These decorative elements are composed laboriously by a 'cut-and-paste' (jiannian) method which was perhaps influenced by Muslim mosiac work. Porcelain bowls and wares are broken and cut out to form three-dimensional decorative mosiac work on ridges and over figurines on the roof. The Minnan (Hokkien) version and possibly the original version (Quanzhou architecture was influenced by Muslim architecture through the silk route), is much simpler. The finial ends of the ridge also differ from Hokkien version. Whilst the Teochew are fond of 'juancao' (curly grass) form, the Hokkiens much prefer 'yanwei'(swallow's tail) form. This temple has only one main courtyard (Yiluo or Yijin), with the main hall facing the entrance directly. Comparing the granite columns towards the entrance and those towards the main altar, you will find that the columns around the altar are round and tapered at the ends! These granite tapered columns (shuozhu) are unique in Singapore as most other columns of this fashion are in timber. The other known granite 'shuozhu' in Singapore can be found in the main altar area of the 'Ying Fo Fui Kun' along Telok Ayer Street. Tapered columns are popular in the Sung dynasty and continue to appear in Souther Chinese architecture even after its collapse. There could have been Roman influence in 'Shuozhu' as rounded columns are a common feature of Roman columns which in turn was borrowed from the Greeks. This is highly possible due to the heavy trade and cultural exhanges through the silk route. In the Acropolis (Athens), the marble columns of the Parthenon are rounded and tapered to correct a visual error of narrowness of the centre portions from far. The granite columns of Foot Tet Soo' are of important research value as there are possibilities that the granite could have been quarried locally as opposed to the commonly assumed 'shipped-as-ballasts' theory.

Moving on to the main hall, the remarkable architectural features can be found on the roofs, defined by a bigger 'tai-liang' roof and a 'juanpeng' roof. 'Tai-liang'(supported beams)truss system are usually employed in offical and religeous spaces in both Northern and Southern Chinese architecture. The truss system in 'Foot Tet Soo' is very similar to the one found in the second floor of 'Ying Fo Fui Kun'. According to the temple official, the building materials of both buildings were purchased at a similar period and from a similar source. Known as 'San Zai Wu Mu Gua' or 'San Tong Wu Gua', the ornate yet functional truss system is found commonly in both Hokkien and Teochew architecture. This system consists of three traverse beams supported by five pumpkin-like struts. Pumpkins or 'KimKueh' are a Hokkien/Teochew favourite and can be found in their traditional food. Zhangzhou(Hokkien district) architecture features pumpkin struts quite commonly too. At the base of the pumpkins are leaves that are carved in claw-like manner. Towards the end of the primary roof facing the courtyard is a secondary roof known as 'juanpeng' (curly roof). As the name suggests, it is a small roof extension that is semi-circular in form. Also using a 'tai-liang' system, only this time the pumpkins have been replaced by playful lions. The live-like lions are carved in a meticulous technique know as 'yuan-diao' (three-dimensional carving) while the decorative supports between the column and beam employs a technique known as 'tou-diao' (positive-negative carving). Such carving techniques are a Hokkien and Teochew sepcialty in traditional southern Chinese architecture. However, in terms of ornateness (or baroqueness), the Hokkiens are slightly not as fastidious in comparison. Another feature that is chracteristic of Teochew architecture is the finial treatment of the traverse beams. If you spot a dragon head (longtongji) at the ends of beams, with the column stopping abrubtly below this beam, this would indicate that you are likely to be inside a Teochew heritage building.

Text Courtesy of Kent Neo