Boen Bio (Confucian Temple), Surabaya泗水文庙（孔教庙）
- Type
- Overseas Daoist Temples
- Location
- Indonesia · East Java Province · Surabaya · Jalan Kapasan No.131, Surabaya
- First built
- 1883 · Founded at Kapasan in 1883; relocated to its present site in 1907
- Heritage status
- Listed as Cultural Heritage (Cagar Budaya) of Surabaya
Overview
Boen Bio was founded in 1883 and relocated to its present site in 1907; it is the most important surviving Confucian temple in Indonesia and one of the central sites of Indonesian Confucianism (Agama Khonghucu). It must be made clear that this is neither a Daoist temple nor a Buddhist monastery but a religious building of Confucianism — in Indonesia, Confucianism is one of six officially recognized religions (first recognized in 1965, suspended for a time under Suharto, and restored by President Wahid in 2000), with formally ordained clergy (Xueshi, Wenshi), rites of marriage and mourning, and a systematized body of doctrine; its degree of institutionalization far exceeds that of the Confucian tradition in China, making it a religious form unique to Indonesia. The temple enshrines a spirit tablet and image of Confucius, and the Shidian sacrificial rite is performed there. The architecture blends Chinese and Western elements: the main structure is Western-style brickwork, while its decoration and layout follow Chinese conventions. The existence of Boen Bio is a reminder that Chinese religion in Southeast Asia is not monolithic — Confucianism, Buddhism, Tridharma temples, and popular religion each occupy their own institutional and legal position, and should not be indiscriminately classified as Daoism.
Highlights
- Founded in 1883 and relocated in 1907, the most important Confucian temple in Indonesia
- One of the central sites of Indonesian Confucianism (Agama Khonghucu)
- Confucianism is one of Indonesia's six officially recognized religions, with formal clergy and a system of rites
- Neither a Daoist temple nor a Buddhist monastery — its nature must be clearly distinguished
- Architecture blends Chinese and Western elements; the Shidian sacrificial rite is performed there