Klenteng Talang (Vihara Dewi Welas Asih), Cirebon井里汶大伯公庙（打浪庙）

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Indonesia · West Java Province · Cirebon · Jalan Kantor No. 2, Lemahwungkuk, Cirebon (near the old port)

First built

the 17th century · The temple's own tradition places its founding around 1595–1600; the seventeenth century is generally regarded as the credible period, with the exact date yet to be determined

Heritage status

Listed as a Cagar Budaya (Cultural Heritage Site) of Cirebon city

Overview

Klenteng Talang is located in the old port district of Cirebon and is one of the oldest Chinese temples on the north coast of West Java; the temple's own tradition claims it was founded at the end of the sixteenth century, though the seventeenth century is generally regarded as the more credible period. It is dedicated mainly to Guanyin (rendered in Indonesian as Dewi Welas Asih, 'the Goddess of Compassion'), with Mazu, Fude Zhengshen, and Guandi worshipped alongside her. Cirebon was an important ancient port on the north coast of Java, a meeting point of Chinese, Arab, and Javanese culture, and the palaces and tombs of the local sultanate make extensive use of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain shards in their decoration, with Chinese craftsmen involved in the work; the temple's architecture likewise shows marked signs of local adaptation. Under Suharto it was re-registered as a Buddhist vihara, with the legal name Vihara Dewi Welas Asih. The founding date of the temple lacks independent documentary support, and this entry makes no definite claim about it.

Highlights

• One of the oldest Chinese temples on the north coast of West Java
• Dedicated mainly to Guanyin, known in Indonesian as Dewi Welas Asih ('Goddess of Compassion')
• Cirebon was an ancient port where Chinese, Arab, and Javanese cultures met
• The local sultan's palaces and tombs are decorated with extensive Chinese blue-and-white porcelain shards
• The founding date lacks independent documentary support