Buddhism is a teaching by Buddha on the four noble truths:
1) the truth of suffering (both physical and mental sufferings like
birth, ageing, sickness, death, rebirth, stress, sorrow,
association with the loathed, departing from loved ones, not
getting what one wants, etc etc) in life,
2) the cause of suffering (craving, attachment, ignorance),
3) the end of suffering (end of craving, attachment, ignorance,
i.e. Nirvana),
4) the path that ends suffering (noble eightfold path), which is:
Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right
Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right
Concentration.
He is like a doctor diagnosing our disease and cause and
prescribing us a medicine that cures a disease. We practice his
teachings to cure this disease which is to attain Nirvana. The
noble eightfold path is summed up as the practice of 1) Morality,
which supports 2) Samadhi, meditative composure, which supports 3)
Wisdom, direct meditative insights into impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness and non-self of all phenomena, and into
dependent origination and the four noble truths, which leads to
release from all mental afflictions and clinging (Nirvana).
In Buddha's days, there were thousands of people who attained
awakening and nirvana. Even today, I have met many people who
achieved awakening, so Buddhism's goal is very realistic.
Chinese folk religion is mostly about respecting, worshipping,
one's ancestors and gods.
Hindu religion is very wide -- mostly what you see in Singapore is
also just about worshipping gods, etc. A folk based religion. There
are also more 'meditative' forms of Hinduism like Advaita Vedanta,
however their teaching is not the same as Buddhism as their goal is
to attain realization of their Ultimate Self (Atman-Brahman) that
is God-consciousness, but Buddha refutes an Ultimate Self (seeing
their experience as distorted by a form of subtle delusion and
clinging) and teaches anatta -- no-self/non-self. Although Hinduism
also aims to get one out of samsaric rebirth by attaining moksha,
their idea of what Nirvana is is quite different from Buddhism, as
their moksha is absorption in infinite consciousness in a state of
samadhi, while Buddha would say that it is still a subtle form of
samsara and clinging and one will eventually be reborn again even
if one is absorbed in that state for millions of years as a
formless being. Samadhi alone does not liberate, wisdom does.
I used to study and practice Hinduism's Advaita Vedanta for many
years and attained Self-realization/God-realization. But more
recently after contemplating on Buddha's teachings and anatta, I
had a further awakening and saw the profundity of Buddhism.
In conclusion, yes there are differences between the three. Only
Buddhism leads to awakening, liberation from suffering of samsara
and rebirth. Religions like Hinduism, and all the other major
religions etc may lead a person to a higher rebirth in samsara
(there are many levels of heavens -- some sensual, some form, some
formless) due to cultivating good karma (for greater enjoyment,
eventually returns to lower realms again as its part of a
beginningless cycle of rebirth) by practicing virtue/morality
generosity etc, but not Nirvana -- freedom from suffering,
rebirth.
Therefore it is ok to visit temples, but what are you truly getting
out of it? Those who have the opportunity to meet Buddhism but does
not try to understand it or practice it is like entering a cave
full of gold nuggets but not trying to get anything out of it. It's
a waste. Try to understand Buddhism and apply its teachings. That
is what the Buddha wanted of all others -- attain the Nirvana,
liberation, awakening like him. That can only be achieved by taking
refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, following, relying on
their teachings and practicing them.