Kim Tek Ie (Vihara Dharma Bhakti), Jakarta雅加达金德院

Type: Overseas Daoist Temples
Location: Indonesia · Jakarta Special Capital Region · West Jakarta · Jalan Kemenangan III, Petak Sembilan No. 19, Glodok (the Glodok Chinatown)
Coordinates: -6.1439, 106.8128 Map ↗
First built: 1650 · Built under the auspices of the Chinese kapitan Kwee Hoen; rebuilt in 1755 by kapitan Oei Tji under its present name
Heritage status: Within the Kota Tua (Old Town) heritage district, Jakarta

Overview

Kim Tek Ie was originally named Kwan Im Teng (Guanyin Pavilion), built in 1650 under the auspices of a Chinese kapitan, and is the oldest surviving Chinese temple in Jakarta. It was burned during the 1740 Red River Massacre and rebuilt in 1755 under the new name "Kim Tek Ie" (Temple of Golden Virtue). The temple's principal deity is Guanyin, with subsidiary worship of Sakyamuni, the Empress of Heaven (Mazu), and more than a dozen other Buddhist and Daoist deities, making it a typical example of the "Three Teachings blended" temple (kelenteng) of Southeast Asian Chinese communities. After Indonesia adopted its localization policy in 1965, the temple was renamed Vihara Dharma Bhakti and registered under Indonesian law as a Buddhist monastery — it should be noted that Daoism is not among the six religions officially recognized by Indonesia, and Daoist belief is legally subsumed under the framework of Buddhism or Confucianism, so the registration category of such temples does not reflect their actual composition of worship. On 2 March 2015, a fire caused by votive candles destroyed the main hall and about forty ancient deity statues; the temple was subsequently restored.

Highlights

The oldest surviving Chinese temple in Jakarta (1650)
Rebuilt in 1755 after the 1740 Red River Massacre
A typical kelenteng with Buddhist and Daoist deities worshipped together
Registered under Indonesian law as a Buddhist vihara after 1965
A 2015 fire destroyed the main hall and about 40 ancient deity statues

References