There are quite a few Chinese shrines in Phuket, and each has its own characteristics and unique features, which always offer excellent photo opportunities. The large ones are very popular during the Chinese New Year in February or the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in October. They can get extremely crowded, not to mention very loud, from firecrackers.
The Shrine of the Serene Light is a beautifully decorated Chinese Temple on Phang Nga Road, one of the most famous streets of Phuket Town. It used to be 'the little hidden Chinese temple' tucked away at the end of a small path, right under your nose. While most Thais knew all about it, only a few foreigners were aware of its existence, and those who knew would proudly whisper its secret location to newbies like an old secret passage to some mystic temple. Read More
Jui Tui Shrine (Kew Ong) is one of the oldest and most important on Phuket Island. It plays a significant role during the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival, usually held in October and November. The festival dates use the Lunar Calendar, and the festival's exact dates change every year, so if you plan to travel to Phuket to see this event, check the dates before booking. Read More
Lim Hu Tai Su is a Chinese Taoist shrine on the north side of Phuket Town, also known as Sam Kong Shrine, for the neighbourhood in which it’s found. Though not as well known by visitors as larger Chinese shrines like Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket’s Old Town area, Sam Kong Shrine is a revered place of worship for the local community. It’s become a key part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival when it hosts several ceremonies and a procession during the annual 9-day event. Read More
Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town is one of Phuket's oldest and most revered Chinese shrines. It’s one of the main shrines taking part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival It is a place of worship and merit-making activity for the local Chinese-Thai community throughout the year. Read More
Lai Thu Tao Bo Keng is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, and many believe it was the birthplace of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival nearly two centuries ago. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the island’s interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach. Read More
Hok Nguan Kong Shrine is a Chinese temple near the Surin Clock Circle in Phuket Town. It was founded more than 80 years ago by the Chinese-Thai community in Phuket. From the 1800s, well into the 20th century, thousands of migrants from China arrived in Phuket to work in the tin mines and establish merchant businesses. Though many migrants settled in Phuket and integrated with the local Thai community, they held onto some Chinese traditions passed down through the generations. Hok Nguan Kong Shrine is just one example of the lasting influence of Chinese migration on the local culture – look around Phuket Town, and you’ll find several more, including Bang Neow Shrine, Jui Tui Shrine and Sang Tham Shrine (or Shrine of the Serene Light). Hok Nguan Kong Shrine’s design features many traditional Chinese motifs, including columns wrapped with large dragon images, wall murals with tigers, and bright red and yellow colours throughout. The first view of the shrine from the street looks imposing, with the shrine’s large entry arch featuring four red columns wrapped by serpentine golden dragons. The most important sacred object in the shrine is a black sandalwood statue of the Ju Su Kong deity. Ju Read More
Kio Thian Keng Shrine is a colourful Chinese shrine that is set on the seashore inside Saphan Hin public park in Phuket Town. It’s a place of worship for the local Chinese-Thai community, and it plays an important role as the site of the final farewell to the gods during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Read More
Tha Rua Shrine is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, found in Thalang District on Thepkasattri Road about 800m south of the Heroines’ Monument. It’s an important site during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, when thousands of devotees come to hold ceremonies and eat vegetarian food during the event’s nine days. Read More
Sam Sae Chu Hut Chinese Shrine is a modest and discreet Chinese shrine located near the intersection of Khaw Sim Bee Road and Mae Luan Road, on the way up to Khao Rang Hill in Phuket Town; opened in May 2002. Read More
Adorned with intricate artwork depicting sins and punishments, Sheng Tek Beo in Phuket Town is a shrine that plays a key role in the Por Tor festival, or Hungry Ghost Festival, which occurs every year around September. The central celebrations occur at this shrine dedicated to the Por Tor god, or king of hell. Read More
Located on the popular Thalang Road in the heart of Phuket Old Town, the Hainan Shrine is more than just a place of worship. Built in 1910, this beautiful shrine has been a cultural and spiritual centre for over a century, especially for the Hainanese community in Phuket. Read More
Put Jaw Shrine is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, located in Phuket Town. It was originally built more than 200 years ago and is dedicated to the Chinese goddess Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy. The shrine plays a significant role in the spiritual life of the local Chinese-Thai community. Read More
Sui Boon Tong Shrine
Of course, there are many more shrines in Phuket town, not to mention all around the island. Another temple on the way to Monkey Hill is dedicated to tigers, with tiger statues and carvings everywhere in and around this small, unimpressive building. It’s not a great place, but you get to see the monkeys when going up there.
Phuket 101 Blog shares 30 years of Phuket exploration and thousands of photos, tips and secrets. This travel guide is written from our real experiences: we tried and visited every place, and we paid for almost everything, which allows us to keep our honest opinions. Phuket 101 was born in January 2011.View Author posts