Vihara Dharma Bhakti or Jin De Yuan Temple is one of the oldest temple in Jakarta.
It was built in 1650 by a Chinese Liutenant, Kwee Hun, dedicated to goddess Kwan Im. Vihara Dharma Bhakti is located in Petak Sembilan or Glodok, Jakarta’s Chinatown. It became a place for Chinese descendants of Jakarta to worship their gods. Praying for ancestors, asking for forgiveness or wishing for luck became a routine for year after year. If someone take a city tour Jakarta and stroll around Jakarta Chinatown and see this beautiful temple, no matter what their religion, it will be such a waste if they not spend a little time to stop and look around. They can learn many things in this temple.
Dharma Bhakti Temple’s Entrance
If you get inside Vihara Dharma Bhakti, you will find many Chinese god statues, which has specific “wisdom” each, for example, if you see people pray in front of God of Prosperity, that means they want to have a good fortune.
A Visitor Practicing a Ritual to Worship A God
It is said that this temple was once burned in Colonial era, left with just tables and altar. Rebuilt in 1755, thus established a temple that attract many visitor and loved by the worshipers.
A Picture Of A Dragon On The Wall
Sadly, this temple was engulf in fire once again recently, on 2nd of March 2015 and what’s left is only Kwan Im Statue 🙁
The police is still investigating the cause of the fire. Until further notice, we just have to wait patiently. Maybe right now all we can see just ashes in there, but don’t lose hope that Vihara Dharma Bhakti would be rebuilt more beautifully some day. All that we can do is just pray. Hoping that we could meet there in another day 🙂