Places of Worship & Devotion

Chu Sze Kung was first found near the current Kuching General Hospital by the local Teoh Chew pioneers around the end of 19th Century; there was a small Teoh Chew community in the area around that time. There is no records on the details. The Rajah was associated with Lord Chu Sze according to a legend. At one time, in the 19th Century, Rajah Charles Brooke was galloping on a horse back along Green Road, near the current General Hospital; suddenly, he felt sick & fell blank to the ground. As he was unconscious, there appeared an old man before him & fed him some medicine. When he woke up, he saw the old man disappeared before a small temple not far from him. As he entered the temple, he was shocked that the host deity looked alike the old man who saved him in the dream. It seemed that the God of the temple had saved him. As he returned to the Astana (the palace), he quickly granted the piece of land to the temple officially, with a land title. Thereafter, the stor...

Tua Pek Kong Temple is one of the oldest (or the earliest known) Chinese temple in Sarawak; it is also one of the most famous and mentioned tourist destination in Sarawak. The temple was believed to be built around the year 1800, more than two centuries; the earliest known official land title issued by Charles Brooke was 29 August 1871. Like many of the earlier Chinese temple in Sarawak, it was a small & simple hut; the first known renovation was done in the year 1856, and subsequently it was upgraded with ceramic roofing & partial brick walls in 1863. By the year 1880 when cement was introduced into Sarawak, major parts of the temple were then concreted as to existing look. The earlier management of the temple before the Japanese occupation was elected informally by yearly cast lots of getting one representative with two ‘taukey’ to assist the required periodic ceremonial & religious occasions. After the war, the temple was managed by five Chinese ...