The Magnificent Temple of Sam Po Kong

Semarang is the capital city of Central Java province. It is one of the busiest cities in Central Java because it is one of the easiest accesses for people to go around Central Java. Semarang is not only the city of trading and business. Semarang also has magnificent tourism sites. Starting form this posting, I will describe some breath taking tourism sites in Semarang. It aims to promote the beauty of Indonesia to the world, and to give example for students that by learning English we can do something for our beloved city Semarang and even our beloved Country of Indonesia. In this occasion, I will describe one of the wonders in Semarang. It is the temple of Sam Poo Kong or also known as the temple of Gedong batu.

The development of the city of Semarang started in around the 15th century. At that time there were groups of Chinese Moslems and some local people who lived near Kaligarang. At that time the coastline was still at the bottom of Simongan hill. The harbor of Semarang was a very important harbor for business that was often visited by foreign traders from Malacca, China, and The Dutch. The Chinese community coming to Semarang was led by a Moslem named Sam Po Tay Djien or also known as Zheng He. His ship landed in Semarang in around 1401 AD.

Zheng He lived in a cave which functioned as a shelter as well as a place for teaching the religion of Islam. When Zheng he returned to his country, there was a land slide that destroyed the cave. To honor Zheng he, people dug a new cave and built a special place. People also built Zheng He and his men’s statues in that place. It was the origin of the SAM PO KONG temple. This temple is the only place in the world that was honored by both Moslems and the Chinese. Simongan then grew into a crowded settlement after more and more traders from China came and lived there. There are some worshipping places that you can find in Sam poo Kong temple. Some of them

1. The worshiping place for the God of Earth / Fu De Shen
2. The worshiping place for Sam poo Kong
3. The worshiping place for Kyai Juru Mudi
4. The Worshiping place for Kyai Jangkar
5. The worshiping place for Kyai Cundrik Bumi

There are some traditional art performances that you can see in certain occasions for example the Barong Say dance to welcome the coming of the Chinese new Year. There are also some religious ceremonies held in this place. On Lak Gwee 29 imlek people usually hold Pek Kong ceremony. This ceremony is to celebrate the arrival of Sam Poo Kong in Semarang. Still, there are many interesting stuffs that you can see in this place. Therefore, if you go to Semarang, don’t forget to visit this magnificent temple. It is located at Jalan Simongan 29 Semarang.