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Guan-Yu Koh Samui Shrine
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ศาลเจ้าพ่อกวนอูเกาะสมุย |
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The Chinese have a long and colourful history on Koh Samui, with
the first immigrants arriving from the Chinese island of Hainan
in the late Ayutthaya era.
The Chinese were not always
well received in their travels, thousands were killed when they
attempted to migrate to the Philippines and Indonesia. In
contrast, the Buddhist communities of Thailand hospitably
welcomed the migrants and it did not take long for the Chinese
immigrants to become integrated with the local people by
marriage, with following generations now recognised and accepted
as being Thai-Chinese.
During the reign of King Rama III,
the King, fluent in Chinese, opened trade routes with China,
encouraging more Chinese and Hainanese to settle in Thailand.
Koh Samui was a popular destination for these settlers who were
mostly traders, dealing in cotton, porcelain and silk. They also
introduced Chinese rum, pig breeding and Hainan-Chinese
architecture to the Island.
In 1872 the leaders of the
Hainan-Chinese in Koh Samui erected a small shrine at Ban Na
Kai, about one kilometre south of the current shrine. This
wooden shrine was dedicated to Guan Yu, as well as his two
guardians Zhou Chang and Guan Ping.
In 1935 it was
relocated from Na Kai market to a roadside position (photo
above) in the Hua Thanon market.
The new shrine is the
project of local entrepreneur, Khun Virach Pongchababnapa, who
is also the driving force behind the popular Pavilion Samui
Villas & Resort in Lamai.
In 2008, a committee, headed by
Khun Virach Pongchababnapa, began designing the new shrine, as
well as working on a project to celebrate the Koh Samui Chinese
community. The shrine is a celebration of Chinese heritage and
is dedicated to Guan Yu, a legendary warrior who died almost
2,000 years ago.
The new Guan Yu Shrine will be a meeting
and focal point for the Chinese community on Koh Samui as well
as being a popular destination for the ever increasing number of
Chinese tourists. The shrine can be used in a multitude of ways,
such as, wedding ceremonies, giving the wedding couple, families
and friends the opportunity to pay their respects to Guan Yu,
who importantly in a marriage symbolises loyalty and honesty.
The first stage of the new temple featured a temporary
effigy of the glowing red face of Guan Yu. It sat like a
powerful avenging force on the retaining wall above the shrine
complex. This has since been removed to make way for the real
statue to be erected.
The interior of the main hall at
the shrine is decorated with golden murals featuring Chinese
calligraphy, fabulous dragons and other assorted images.
Ornamental prayer drums and banners hang down from the ceiling
and generally festoon the whole interior. The overall outlook is
of gaiety and lavish ornamentation.
Old photographs and
portraits of ethnic Chinese settlers who lived out their lives
on Koh Samui are interspersed with the decorations.
The
descendants of the pioneers have been encouraged to make
available for display any photos, documents and even voice
recordings of their ancestors at the shrine of Guan Yu. Khun
Virach says he hopes the items will help preserve the history of
Chinese people on Koh Samui for posterity.
The revenue
raised from any ceremonies, donations and sales will go towards
Shrine maintenance, further expansion of the temple and the
creation of a mini “Chinatown” with restaurants, shops and
Chinese medical practitioners on the land behind the shrine. |
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Surat Thani |
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Ko Samui |
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Maret |
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Religion |
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Best exposure |
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Morning |
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Entry fee |
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Free |
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GPS : |
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9.4454 N |
100.0245 E |
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