Back in 2015, i noticed a new structure at the back of the popular Tua Pek Kong Temple in Batam but didn't venture further to check it out. Fast forward to 2019; with plenty of time, why not climb up the stairs and see what's up there.
Stone decoration taking the center spot in the middle of two staircases; with its red and orange goldfishes contrasting with the green lotus leaves, they were eye-catching even from far away!
Rules and regulations; the Chinese version is way better than the English translation which is contradicting sometimes. For example, no eating and drinking is already rather straightforward and it's confusing when you have to add in "include non-vegetarian food".
Stepping into the main hall; one word, sparse!
However, there's more to the Buddhist hall. Like the super high ceiling and the beautiful, wooden roof; given its layout, the top appeared to be supported only by the four corners of the building.
Another interesting thing; the panels with portraits of what seemed to be Buddha's disciples, Bodhisattva and the arhats. Strangely, the Chinese words accompanying them don't make any sense to me. Shame on me as i always identify myself as Buddhist rather than Taoist.
Given the elevation, we had a pretty good view of the surrounding.
Compared to my first visit to Batam about 25 years ago, the Indonesian island had developed a lot with numerous tall buildings spotted in my recent trip! I still remember my shock in the 1990s when there was only one traffic light in the whole island.
Long glass display on the ground floor.
Turned out it housed the statues of deities, gods from both Taoism and Buddhism and there were so many! I believe they were abandoned statues when a family decides to forgo their faith or had too many in the first place.
As it is considered sacrilegious to destroy a religious artifact; sending the statues to a religious compound is a more palatable option.
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Address
Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja,
Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
Operating Hours
Normal Days: 6 am to 6 pm
1st Day of the Lunar Month: 6 am to 10 pm
15th Day of the Lunar Month: 6 am to 10 pm