Dharma Bhakti Temple as One of the Oldest Temple That You Can Find on Jakarta Chinatown Tour
As Chinese community are often migrating to trade and find better opportunities, there are Chinatowns that you can find in many countries, so does Indonesia. Not only that, but you can also find Chinatown in different provinces in Indonesia. One of them is in Jakarta. The Chinatown in Jakarta is called “Glodok” area. You can find Chinese community resides and operating their business there. You can find malls, tenants, restaurants, and small stores that sell various kinds of products there. Aside from that, you can also find temples where they practice their religion. One of them is Dharma Bhakti Temple, or in another name, “Kelenteng Kim Tek Ie”.
A Brief History of Dharma Bhakti Temple That Colors the Pluralistic Community in Glodok Jakarta
The temple was believed to be built in year 1650, named Kwan Im Teng, that later absorbed to the Indonesian language as “kelenteng”, a place of worship for Confucianists. According to a sinologist, the temple was believed to be burned along with the massive massacre of Chinese ethnicity in the year of 1740 by the Dutch East Indies. The temple was later restored in 1755 and the name was changed to Kim Tek Ie. At the 18th Century, the temple was known as the most important place of worship in the Chinese community in Batavia. After the year of 1965, the government suggests that the Chinese Indonesian ethnicity to use more Indonesian sounding name for surnames or other original Chinese names, thus, the temple finally named as Vihara Dharma Bhakti.
How To Reach Vihara Dharma Bhakti and When Is the Time to Visit the Iconic Temple in Glodok Chinatown Area
The temple can be reached by walking from Kota Train Station, around 900 meters, and it opens everyday from 6 AM to 4 PM. The popularity of this temple can be seen in Chinese festivals such as the celebrations of Chinese New Year, Lantern Festivals, and more. Many people will come to practice their worship and the place will be crowded.
Visit The Dharma Bhakti as A Part of Jakarta Chinatown Tour During Your Stay in Jakarta
The temple is a place that is worth to visit among the Chinese community in Glodok Chinatown area as it has a precious historical value. Come to Jakarta and join us on the Jakarta Walking Tour. We will take you to explore things you can see and do in Glodok Chinatown area to learn about the history, culture, and delicacies that it offers. See you around!
