The Kuan Yin Shrine, Bangkok ? the Goddess of Mercy on the Chao Phraya

Home
>
Outdoors
>
The Kuan Yin Shrine, Bangkok ? the Goddess of Mercy on the Chao Phraya

The Kuan Yin Shrine, Bangkok ? the Goddess of Mercy on the Chao Phraya

The Kuan Yin Shrine in Bangkok is in an old Chinese building within a community on the Chao Phraya River where time seems to have stood still for the last 200 years.

The site originally had two shrines built in the reign of King Taksin (1767 ? 1782) by his Chinese supporters. The dilapidated buildings were torn down in the reign of King Rama III (1824 ? 1851) and rebuilt to house Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy.

Today, the Kuan Yin Shrine is in the care of a local Chinese family living in the area. In Thai, the goddess of mercy is known as Jao Mae Kuan Im.

Kuan Yin, an ancient Chinese goddess, embodies the virtues of love, kindness, compassion and forgiveness, a legend that goes back to 300 BC.

The youngest daughter of a Chinese king, she was blessed with virtue and spurned her corrupted father's greed for wealth and power. When she rejected his order for an arranged marriage, he drove her out of their home.

Rejected, persecuted and exiled by her father, she dedicated her remaining years as a nun healing the sick and destitute and as a savior of shipwrecked sailors. When her father was mortally ill, she sacrificed her eyes and arms for the antidote to save him.

Her selflessness earned her eternal worship and the Kuan Yin Shrine became a Chinese cultural heritage. The early Chinese immigrants to Bangkok continued the tradition and built a shrine for the goddess of mercy on the Chao Phraya River near where they lived.

An elevated walkway, a recent addition, runs from the pier along the riverbanks and a small footbridge with a red arch links the walkway to the main gate of the shrine. At the end of a small red-tiled courtyard is the period Chinese structure housing the Kuan Yin Shrine.

Images of classical Chinese characters are engraved on the front walls and above the opened main door, two fiery dragons ride the crest of the roof, glaring down fiercely. The wooden doors in the sidewalls leading to the inner quarters behind are closed.

Inside the shrine, painted walls of Chinese warriors and old red Chinese lanterns hanging from the rafters create a mood reminiscent of ancient China, a mood seemingly unchanged over the years in the Kuan Yin Shrine.

A smaller altar with several Kuan Yin statues stands in the open yard in the center of the shrine. In the main altar, in the covered area to the rear, a metre-high gold statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, sits serenely facing the Chao Phraya River.

It's not a busy shrine on non-festive days. The occasional worshipper comes in to pray and pay respects as the day goes lazily by. Life on the river is quiet except for a few children playing by the pier and the odd fisherman.

Meanwhile, in the Kuan Yin Shrine, the goddess of mercy, gazes benignly at the bustling river beyond as the riverboats go streaming by.

The Kuan Yin Shrine is one of the many Bangkok Shrines in the old city.

The Kuan Yin Shrine is one of the legacies that make up the rich cultural milieu of Bangkok. This article first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies, a historical travel site on people, places and events that shaped the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim, is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangkok Thailand.

In The News:

Canary Islands volcano eruption could last for three months, experts say
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 09:36:00 +0100
A volcanic eruption in Spain's Canary Islands could last three months, experts have said.

How bad is the damage in La Palma - and why is lava meeting the ocean so dangerous?
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 06:50:00 +0100
Authorities have warned people on the island of La Palma of fresh dangers after a new volcanic vent blew open and rivers of unstoppable lava flowed towards more densely populated areas and the sea.

Mystery woman found in Croatia with memory loss identified by police
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:36:00 +0100
A woman found with memory loss in a remote area of Croatia has now been identified by police.

US to donate 500m extra vaccine shots - as Biden tells rich nations to share 'with no strings attached'
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 17:57:00 +0100
The US is buying a further 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to donate to other countries, bringing its total commitment to over a billion jabs, President Joe Biden has announced.

Throw away your Chinese phones, Lithuanian defence ministry tells citizens after software discovery
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 11:10:00 +0100
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence has urged people to stop buying Chinese phones and throw away the ones they already possess after discovering censorship software.

tikatoshop.it

Erfahrungen mit Pallhuber Wein
Agen Bola SBOBET Terpercaya

Travel in comfort and at your leisure with CT Airlink Limousine & Car Service for top quality private transportation and exceptional customer service. We operate Sedans, SUVs & Vans for CT Car Services to covering all Connecticut airports including Car Service from CT to Newark Airport , Mohegan Casino Uncasville CT, Foxwoods Casino Mashantucket CT, Manhattan Cruise Terminal NYC, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal NYC and Bayonne Cruise Terminal NJ. CT Airlink hire licensed and friendly chauffeurs who have in-depth knowledge of the Areas.