IN AND AROUND THUNG SONG: CHINESE TEMPLE

In honor of the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, here are some photos I've been meaning post from one of the (most impressive) Chinese temples in town. I surprisingly managed to find some information online about it - impressive because probably 95% of Thung Song signs are Thai only, the only English we see is for Tesco, the schools, and arrows pointing to the next towns over. I happened to google the cave nearby which led me to a website outlining Thung Song mountain biking adventures in fairly decent English. 

        The temple is called the Sam Por Kong Foundation, which is a Chinese word meaning "triple gem". It's the center of faith for the Chinese descendants in Thung Song and nearby districts. The statue is of Kuan Im - the Goddess of Mercy - statue, which was erected in 1996, "on the auspicious occasion of the Golden Jubilee of H.M. the King's Accession to the Throne." The statue is 19 meters high, making it among the highest Kuan Im statues in Thailand. The smaller statues of a girl and a boy named "Long Ni" and "Chung Chai Kong Jue" respectively, reflect their supporting roles in helping human beings and animals. 


 


The last two photos are me in front of the statue for size comparison, and my friend Vicki in a crystal ball, respectively. The temple is only 2k from my apartment so I'm lucky enough to drive by it often! It's one of the more interesting things I've stumbled upon in Thung Song. Enjoy!