14 Great Chinese Temples in Phuket

Bang Neow Shrine, founded in 1904, is a beautiful place of worship in Phuket Town. Also called the Theprasi Foundation Shrine, it was originally part of another shrine at Soi Romanee before permanently moving to Phuket Road. The shrine has an elegant interior design with many printings on the walls recounting stories from Chinese literature. Carvings of the dragon, an important Chinese legendary creature, are prominently featured on the shrine’s supporting columns.

Most drivers honk their horns to show respect to Boon Kaw Kong Shrine, located on top of Patong Hill. Founded in 1980, this small but well-respected Chinese shrine is decorated with paper lanterns and sculptures of dragons, monkeys and lions. When devotees' wishes are granted they usually come back to Boon Kaw Kong Shrine and give thanks by lighting firecrackers. Photography is not allowed inside the shrine.

Hok Nguan Kung Shrine has long been a religious center of many local families since it was founded over 80 years ago. It's located on Phuket Road, at the Surin Clock Circle in Phuket Town. One of the shrine's most important ritual objects is the crafted image of Ju Su Kong. Made from sandalwood, his statue is completely black from head to toe.

Jui Tui Shrine is a popular Chinese temple that plays a pivotal part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. The main building has 3 large altars displaying statues of Chinese gods.

It’s the place where locals can come to celebrate special occasions (birthdays, weddings, newborn babies and healing) and share their sorrows and hard times. One of the island's oldest and the most respected spiritual centres, Jui Tui Shrine is a must-see for newcomers to Phuket.

Kathu Shrine shares a long history with Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival – it's believed to be where the festival originated from. It's a rather small and peaceful temple, where you can see historical items such as wooden crafted Taoist deities and vintage implements used for body-piercing during the Vegetarian Festival. The main altar displays a statue of Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy), along with wooden Buddha images.

Kio Thian Keng Saphan Hin Shrine has artistic images of various deities on its altars and few life-size statues throughout its premise. Located at Saphan Hin Park, it's the only Phuket shrine close to the seashore. Kio Thian Keng Saphan Hin Shrine is the departure spot to send all gods/deities back to heaven on the final night of the Vegetarian Festival. You can see colorful parades of each shrine officially come to an end in Phuket.

Put Cho Shrine is one of the oldest Chinese Taoist temples on Phuket. It's built to honor Guan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. Locals often come here to seek help when they have health issues. They shake a box full of bamboo sticks until 1 falls out. They use the number written on the stick to get a medication prescription from the temple. Many parents with Chinese heritage come to Put Cho Shrine to get names for their newborn babies. It's believed that children with a proper name will enjoy a good and long life.

Lim Hu Tai Su Shrine (Samkong Shrine) is a small shrine located 3.5 km north of the Phuket Town Central Market. It plays a major part in the Samkong villagers’ lives, especially when someone falls ill or needed some advice to improve their health.

Locals often bring traditional medicine from local shops and pray for the shrine's deity for blessings. Visiting Samkong Shrine is free, but donations are appreciated to help support its renovations and charities.

The Shrine of the Serene Light was established in the late 19th century by the descendants of the Tan Luan Jae family. It's modest in size but clearly shows its Hokkien Chinese heritage with its terracotta-tiled roof and single-storey construction. Note that photography isn't allowed inside the main part of the temple. The Shrine of the Serene Light is just a few minutes west of many Phuket Town landmarks, including The Memory at On On Hotel and Thavorn Hotel Museum.

Sui Boon Tong Shrine occupies a yellow shop-house in Phuket Town, around 850 meters southwest of Phuket Town Central Market. Also called Lorong Shrine, it was one of the most important shrines during the annual Vegetarian Festival.

During your visit, you might see locals rubbing the big belly of a Budai image sitting on the shrine's terrace. He's a Chinese deity with a kind and smiling face. Devotees believe that by rubbing his big belly, it'll bring them wealth and prosperity.

Tha Rua Shrine is the 4th-oldest Taoist temple in Phuket. It's located close to the Heroines Monument on Thepkasattri Road. The temple is painted in bright gold, red and green, with many striking sculpted dragons and traditional Chinese paintings throughout.

The center of Tha Rua Shrine's front terrace has a huge brass container, which was brought to Phuket from China. Inside the prayer hall, you’ll find several statues of Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) and prominent Taoist deities.