Leng Buai Ia Shrine (; zh, 龍尾古廟) is a

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

shrine, in the

Samphanthawong Samphanthawong (, )) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district by area in Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bang Rak, ...

district of

Bangkok's Chinatown Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was founded in 1782 when the city was established as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, and served as the home of the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population, wh ...

. It is located within Talat Kao market on Yaowarat Soi 6, off

Yaowarat Road Yaowarat Road (, , ; ) in Samphanthawong District is the main artery of Bangkok's Chinatown. Modern Chinatown now covers a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese community si ...

.Google Maps
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History

The shrine is considered to be the oldest Chinese shrine in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, based on a plaque contained inside with a Chinese inscription stating that it was built in 1658, during the

Ayutthaya period The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...

. Thought to have originally been a Teochew-style shrine, it would have been used by Chinese businessmen aiming to improve the prosperity of their businesses and to establish social connections.Leng Buai Ia Shrine
/ref>Bangkok's Chinatown District
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Style and Layout

Built in a classic Chinese architectural style, the shrine has a roof made of glazed colored tiles, adorned with two ceramic-clad dragons. The two main columns at the shrine entrance are also entwined by ceramic-clad dragons. The shrine contains, at its center, an altar dedicated to Leng Buai Ia and his wife. To the left and right there are altars dedicated to the Martial Deity, Lord Guan (Guan Yu) and the Queen of Heaven,

Tianhou Mazu or Matsu is a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to ...

respectively. Near the entrance is an ancient bell attributed to the

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing e ...

, towards the end of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Other items inside the shrine include three plaques from the reign of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

in the Qing dynasty, a bell inscribed with the name of Choen Thai Chue, and a container for incense sticks given as a gift from King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V).

References

{{Visitor attractions in Bangkok Buildings and structures in Bangkok Religious buildings and structures completed in 1658 Religious buildings and structures in Bangkok Samphanthawong district Chinese shrines in Thailand 1658 establishments in Asia