Sam Poo Kong

The oldest temple of five in Sam Poo Kong Complex, the Sam Poo Kong Temple sprawls over 3.2 hectares of land with intricate 14th century Chinese and Javanese finesse in terms of architecture. It is located on Simongan Road, 3km Southwest from Simpang Lam. It is an approximate 20 minute drive from the centre of the town. It has the East Asian styled triple layered pagoda roof and the entire temple is done in rich red color.

Quite interestingly the foundations of the temple was laid by a muslim explorer from Mainland China named Admiral Cheng Ho, or popularly known as Admiral Zheng Ho. After a landslide in the year 1704, the temple laid in ruins for 20 years after which the locals took to themselves to rebuild it in a different spot that is not prone to any such occurrence. The temple is a space of spiritual and religious inclination while at the same time also stands in remembrance of Cheng Ho’s community service. The temple is open all days a week and for all hours a day. The dominant religious denominations are Buddhism, Muslims  and ethnicities like Chinese and Javanese.