Tien Kok Sie Temple, Surakarta梭罗天国寺
- Type
- Overseas Daoist Temples
- Location
- Indonesia · Central Java Province · Solo / Surakarta · Jalan RE Martadinata, Pasar Gede, Surakarta
- First built
- 1745 · Built in the same year as the relocation of the Surakarta royal court (Keraton Surakarta)
- Heritage status
- Listed as a Cagar Budaya (Cultural Heritage Site) of Surakarta city
Overview
Tien Kok Sie Temple was built in 1745, the same year the Surakarta royal court (Keraton Surakarta) was relocated and rebuilt from Kartasura, and stands beside the Great Market (Pasar Gede) — the most important temple of Surakarta's Chinese community. It is dedicated principally to Guanyin, with subsidiary worship of Mazu, Guandi, Fude Zhengshen, and Xuanwu. Surakarta and Yogyakarta were both centers of Javanese royal power, and the Chinese quarters were situated close to the royal court and market; the temple's construction coincided with the planning of the royal city, reflecting the commercial role of the Chinese within the Javanese court economy. During the riots of May 1998, Surakarta's Chinese quarter suffered severe destruction, and this temple was also affected before being restored. It is now registered under Indonesian law within the Tridharma temple (TITD) system. Each year the Grebeg Sudiro Lantern Festival is hosted by Tien Kok Sie Temple, blending Chinese and Javanese traditions; the procession features over a thousand lanterns and Javanese-style offering mountains (gunungan).
Highlights
- Built in 1745, the same year the Surakarta royal court was relocated
- Located beside the Great Market, reflecting the role of the Chinese in the Javanese court economy
- Dedicated principally to Guanyin, with subsidiary worship of Mazu, Guandi, and Xuanwu
- Damaged in the riots of May 1998 and later restored
- Hosts the Grebeg Sudiro Lantern Festival procession, blending Chinese and Javanese traditions