Tian Hou Gong Temple
Malay: Tokong Tian Hou Gong Chinese: 天后宮
The entrance of the temple.
Religion
Affiliation	Taoism
District	Kuala Terengganu District
Location
Location	Kuala Terengganu
State	Terengganu
Country	Malaysia
Geographic coordinates	5°19′48.67″N 103°7′57.609″E / 5.3301861°N 103.13266917°E / 5.3301861; 103.13266917
Architecture
Type	Chinese temple
Date established	1896 [1]

Tian Hou Gong Temple ( Malay: Tokong Tian Hou; Chinese: 天后宮), also called as Tian Hou, Tien Hou Kong or Heavenly Empress Temple, ^[2] is a Chinese temple situated in Jalan Balik Bukit in the north of the Chinatown of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. ^[3]

History

The temple are established by early Hainanese settlers in a small structure to worship their sea deity of Shui Wei Sheng Niang which is said found in a junk which was shipwrecked in Terengganu. ^[4] Apart from another temple in the Chinese settlement, the temple served as a focal point for their fishermen and their families who lived along the banks of the Terengganu River. ^[1] It also become forerunner of the Hainanese Association (Qiongzhou Huiguan). ^[4] The temple building was then constructed in 1895 for both devotees and the association. ^[4] Most of its structure were constructed with materials brought in from China with the building are completed the following year. ^[1]

In 2003, the temple land was nearly acquire by the state government of Terengganu under the administration of Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) for waterfront beautification project but was reversed following huge protest from the local residents. ^{[5] [6]}

Features

The temple feature three altars in its main hall with two ancestral tablets dedicated to wandering souls and 108 brave villagers who lost their lives during a war since time immemorial. ^[1] The statues of Mazu and Shui Wei Sheng Niang occupies the central altar while in the right is devoted to Guan Yu and Fude Zhengshen. ^{[1] [6]}

References