Tua Pek Kong Temple, Kuching Explained

Tua Pek Kong Temple
Native Name:Malay: Tokong Tua Pek Kong
Chinese: 古晉大伯公廟
Location:Kuching
Coordinates:1.5571°N 110.349°W
Religious Affiliation:Taoism
District:Kuching District
State:Sarawak
Country:Malaysia
Established:1770[1]
Architecture Type:Chinese temple

Tua Pek Kong Temple (Chinese: 古晉大伯公廟) (also called as Siew San Teng Temple,)[2]  is a Chinese temple situated near the waterfront of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, opposite the Chinese History Museum.[3] It is the oldest temple in the city and formed a part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.[1] [2]

History

The temple is believed to had been in existence before 1839.[1] Much of its history can only be traced back to 1843 with renovations made in 1856, 1863 and 1880.[2] [3] [4] The temple survived the 1884 Great Fire of Kuching and later the Japanese invasion during World War II in 1941 when its structure remained intact despite heavy damage to town buildings nearby due to bombing by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA).[2] [3] When renovation work commenced at the end of 1964, the first for eighty-four years, it was hoped that the date of the original structure would be found recorded somewhere on a beam in the roof, as is customary in all Chinese temples.[5]

References

  1. Web site: Old Kuching Heritage Trail. Sarawak Tourism. 26 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190226082251/https://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/old-kuching-heritage-trail/. 26 February 2019. dead.
  2. Web site: Tua Pek Kong Temple, Kuching, Sarawak. Galileo Petingi. The Daily Roar. 27 February 2014. 20 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220102535/https://thedailyroar.com/culture/tua-pek-kong-temple-kuching-sarawak/. 20 February 2019. dead.
  3. Web site: Tua Pek Kong Temple (Pre-1839), Kuching. Sarawak Tourism. 20 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220104300/https://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/tua-pek-kong-temple-pre-1839/. 20 February 2019. dead.
  4. Book: Sarawak Long Ago . 1969 . 983-62-3981-2 . 86.
  5. Book: Sarawak Long Ago . 1969 . 983-62-3981-2 . 86.