Chinese shrines: Faith in Thai society

Abstract

This article aims to study 124 Chinese shrines in the Bangkok area, based on a survey of the Bangkok Town Planning Bureau, with a focus on two issues: (1) the background and origin of the Chinese shrine; and (2) the value and importance of Chinese shrines. The study found that the shrines in question were built by overseas Chinese who adhered to traditional beliefs and customs. They built shrines according to their own language group to pay respects to the gods they worshipped. The shrines can be considered as religious centers, and places of religious significance exhibiting the beliefs and rituals which epitomize the cultural symbolism that confirmed the establishment of Chinese communities in the area. Traces of the development and transformation of these communities are unique to the ways of life of the Chinese descendants, and the shrines in Bangkok are not simply temples for the Chinese faithful, but harmoniously integrated features of Thai society.