Boen Tek Bio, Tangerang丹格朗文德庙

Type: Overseas Daoist Temples
Location: Indonesia · Banten · Tangerang · Jalan Bhakti No.14, Pasar Lama, Tangerang
First built: 1684 · Founding generally given as 1684; the earliest surviving part of the building dates to 1775, with major repairs in 1844, side wings added in 1875, and an inner courtyard added in 1904
Heritage status: Listed as a Cultural Heritage Site (Cagar Budaya) of Tangerang City

Overview

Boen Tek Bio (Hokkien pronunciation, meaning "Temple of Literature and Virtue") is the oldest Chinese temple in Tangerang. Its founding is generally given as 1684, and the earliest surviving part of the building dates to 1775, with major repairs in 1844, the addition of side wings in 1875, and an inner courtyard added in 1904. The Chinese of Tangerang call themselves "Cina Benteng" (Fortress Chinese), one of the most localized Chinese communities in Indonesia — most speak Sundanese or Indonesian, have intermarried with local people for generations, and have blended customs; Boen Tek Bio is the community's center of belief and culture. It is dedicated principally to Guanyin (Kwan Im), with subsidiary worship of Mazu, Guandi, and Fude Zhengshen (the Earth God), among other Buddhist and Daoist deities. The Benteng Heritage Museum beside the temple occupies a seventeenth-century Chinese house and displays the history of the Cina Benteng. The temple is now registered under Indonesian law within the Tridharma temple (TITD) system. The washing of the deity statues (Ruwatan, or "washing the Tua Pek Kong") and the procession of the gods around the Lantern Festival each year are major local events.

Highlights

The oldest Chinese temple in Tangerang (founding generally given as 1684)
Main structure dates to 1775, with successive additions in 1844, 1875, and 1904
The center of belief and culture for the Cina Benteng (Fortress Chinese) community
Dedicated principally to Guanyin, with subsidiary worship of Mazu, Guandi, and Fude Zhengshen
Now registered as a Tridharma temple (TITD), adjacent to the Benteng Heritage Museum

References