Having Fun at Sam Poo Kong Temple, Semarang, Indonesia

Welcome..

Have you been visiting Semarang, the capital city of Central Java, Indonesia?

I have and I love it.

Semarang has long been known as a melting pot for Indonesia. Many Chinese and Arab descendants live for generations in this beautiful city, while Javanese and more tribes from other parts of Indonesia also reside here. The beautiful blend can be seen in their cultures, cuisines, clothes and more, including religions and worship places.

One of the outstanding landmarks in Semarang is Sam Poo Kong Temple.

Have you heard about it before? 

This temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java provinces. It is also known as the Gedung Batu temple due to its location. Strikingly standing in the middle of  the city with beautiful, bold red painting and typical yet incredible architecture, this temple has an interesting history indeed.

Built originally by the Chinese muslim explorer, Admiral Zheng He or Sanbao, this temple was initially built on a cave area as a resting place. Looks like the Admiral loved this place so much so that he ordered his crews to build and stay in the area while he was exploring the region. 

The story about the admiral and his crews

We can see the story of this carved on the wall in the temple. It is interesting to see how a muslim built a Buddhist temple complex which embraced the Chinese as well as local, in this case Javanese,  beautiful cultures. 

Love the carving..

The complex is quite big, covering the area of more than 3 hectares. 
The oldest and the biggest temple is Sam Poo Kong I believe, and other temples include  Tho Tee Kong, Kyai Juru Mudi Temple, Kyai Jangkar Temple, and Kyai Cundrik Bumi Temple.  There is one additional Mbah Kyai Tumpeng temple as well in the area. You can see they use the mixed names of Chinese and Javanese here. 

The tickets for this area comprise of recreational or praying areas. For the recreational areas, you basically stay in the courtyard and do not go nearer the temple. The tickets for that are Rp 7000,- for local adults and Rp 5000,- for local kids. While for  foreigners, the tickets cost Rp 10000,- for adult and Rp 7000,- for kids. They have slightly more expensive ones for the weekends. But still, very cheap indeed, less than USD 1! While for the praying area, the tickets are Rp 27000,- for local adults and Rp 15000,- for local kids during the weekdays, while weekends will cost you Rp  Rp 28000,- for local adults and Rp 15000,- for local kids. For foreigners, the tickets are Rp 40000,- for adults and Rp 25000,- for kids during the weekdays, while weekends will cost you Rp 45000,- for local adults and Rp 28000,- for local kids. Still manageable as the most expensive ticket is less than USD 4.

So, are you ready?
Let's go having fun at Sam Poo Kong Temple, Semarang, Indonesia!

So, this is my second visit to the temple.
The first time I came here was in 2013 and I didn't get a chance to try the costume. 
Yes, you can rent the traditional Chinese costumes here in the temple for a short period of time. The prices starts from Rp 80.000,- to 150.000,-  and you get a wide range of choices ready to be rent, including for men and children. A special photographer will take your photos outside and inside the temple and you will get 2 printed version. You can pose and ask for the photographer to take several shots which you can have. I have to say you should not miss the opportunity to take this special photo shots.

Cheers from the Queen Mother  :)

So, what do you think?

Will you use the costumes and take pictures like me?

Have you been visiting the similar temple?

See you in the next adventure.