Sanggar Agung Temple or Hong San Tang (Chinese: 宏善堂) is a

Chinese temple Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' mi� ...

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

dedicated to Chinese deities and other Asian religious icons. It is located within the Pantai Ria amusement park and has become a tourist destination, even though it is originally a worship place for Tridharma followers. The name of ''Sanggar Agung'' is derived from

Indonesian language Indonesian (; ) is the official language, official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standard language, standardized variety (linguistics), variety of Malay language, Malay, an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that has ...

which can be translated as ''Great Hall''. The main icon of this temple is a 20 meters tall statue of

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian ...

on the waterfront, as a symbol that this temple is dedicated to ''Nan Hai Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa'' or

Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...

of the South Sea. The giant statue was built after one of its employees saw a woman dressed in white walking on the sea as she was about closing the temple at night, believed as the appearance of

herself. The other icon is the giant

Phra Phrom Phra Phrom (; from Sanskrit: ''Brahmā'', ब्रह्मा) is the Thai representation of the Hindu creator god Brahma. In modern Thailand, Phra Phrom is often worshipped outside of Hindu contexts by regular Buddhists, and, like many other ...

statue covered with gold.

History

Kwan Kong Bio

In the

Moon Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid- ...

of 1978, on the 15th day of the eighth month in the

Chinese Calendar The traditional Chinese calendar, dating back to the Han dynasty, is a lunisolar calendar that blends solar, lunar, and other cycles for social and agricultural purposes. While modern China primarily uses the Gregorian calendar for officia ...

, a temple was built about 500 meters to the south of the current location of Sanggar Agung. The temple's name was Kwang Kong Bio (lit. Temple of

Guan Gong Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him o ...

). The location of this temple had been moved three times since, until Sanggar Agung was built in its current place.Quoted from Sanggar Agung's brochure. In 1999, the temple was officially moved to its present location as Sanggar Agung Temple. Some of the deities’ figurines at Sanggar Agung Temple was already placed in the older temple for some decades.

Construction of Sanggar Agung

Sanggar Agung Temple was built by the family of Soetiadji Yudho and was inaugurated by the time of

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

in 1999. In the beginning, Mr. Yudho intended to uplift the spiritual fervor of Tridharma followers and also hoped that the temple would become an icon of Surabaya City. The giant statue of

was built two years later.

Architecture

The uniqueness of Sanggar Agung Temple is that this temple is built over the sea and shaped like a bay which is surrounded by

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

s. This temple occupies an area of approximately 4000 square meters with Bali-style building design combined with Javanese culture. Freddy H. Istanto, the Dean of the Faculty of Technology and Design of

Ciputra Ciputra (RSS: Tjiputra; 24 August 1931–27 November 2019), born Tjie Tjin Hoan (), was an Indonesian businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He founded Ciputra Group, one of Indonesia's largest real estate companies, with three subsidiaries, ...

University, said that the worship complex of Sanggar Agung is very interesting to be studied because its exterior design has unique multi-cultural charges. The roof of Sanggar Agung uses a strong blend of Javanese style despite the general character of the building is Balinese style. According to him, there is an impression that Sanggar Agung is deliberately brought the image of Indonesian traditional buildings so as not to get stuck with the common style of

or Buddhist Vihara, moreover the architecture style of traditional Chinese. Nevertheless, the tradition of Chinese temple still visible at Sanggar Agung, the example is the round holes in the wall. Mr. Istanto stressed that Sanggar Agung can be regarded as "the representation of psychological and cultural harmony conditions of indigenous communities with Tri Dharma peoples".

Giant Guan Yin statue

Officially, Sanggar Agung claims that the

statue that just stand on the east side of the temple has a height of 18 meters. It is accompanied with 2 bodyguards Shan Nan and Tong Nu and the Four God Kings who guards the 4 corners of the world. A heaven gate under Guan Yin's feet is guarded by a pair of Heavenly Dragons. Most sources claims that the height of

statue at Sanggar Agung is about 20 meters, while the length of dragon statues each 6 meters. One can see

Suramadu Bridge The Suramadu Bridge (, Javanese language, Javanese: ''Kreteg Suramadu'', Madurese language, Madurese: ''Tètè Suramadu''; from the abbreviation of ''Surabaya–Madura Bridge'') is a cable-stayed bridge between Surabaya on the island of Java (is ...

just North East from this ocean gate, and

Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administratively part of Madura's easternmost ...

on the horizon.

Phra Phrom Stupa

The giant

statue is located on an area across the street from the main building of Sanggar Agung Temple. It is located in the backyard of Sanggar Agung, because the front side of the temple is overlooking the sea. Phra Phrom or ''She Mien Fo'' in

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 ...

(lit. ''Four Face Buddha'') is commonly called ''Maha Brahma'' by Indonesian people. This statue is registered by MURI (''Museum Rekor Indonesia'') or the Museum of Indonesian Records as the biggest Four Face Buddha statue in Indonesia. Construction of

Stupa began in July 2003 and was inaugurated on November 9, 2004. The inauguration was attended by some important persons, included some prelates like ''Viriyanadi Mahatera'' from Buddhayana Indonesia, ''Phrarajkhru Sivacharaya'' from Thailand, and ''Gede Anom Jala Karana Manuaba'' of

Indonesian Hinduism Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Indonesia, based on civil registration data in 2023 from Ministry of Home Affairs, is practised by about 1.68% of the total population, and almost 87% of the population in Bali. Hinduism was the domi ...

. The land size is about 1.5 acres, while the main stupa building in the centre is 81 square meters. The construction of the stupa mostly used number nine, for it has its own meaning and to adjust the reference from the similar statue 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 ...

. The Maha Brahma Stupa is surrounded by park with trees and four white elephant statues of four meters high in every corner of its yard. The roof of the stupa is supported by four pillars of golden green color. In general, the stupa of Maha Brahma is divided into 3 parts: the stupa or the roof, Maha Brahma statue, and the throne. The height of the stupa is 18 meters, while the Maha Brahma statue and the throne are 9 meters each. The statue is full covered with 22 karat ''kampoh'' ("gold paper") imported from

amounting to 1.5 billion rupiahs. Although this monument is the biggest in Indonesia, '' Four-Faced Buddha'' statue in

is still the biggest in the world. Totally, the height of this Maha Brahma statue, from the throne to the roof, is 36 meters.

Social function

Place of worship

Sanggar Agung Temple is a place of worship for Tridharma followers, i.e. the Confucianists,

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

(

Mahayana Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...

), and

Taoists Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

.Miftah Faridl. Editor: Rudy Hartono. January 21st, 2013. Access= April 14th, 2013
Sanggar Agung Rumah Berbagai Umat
Because Sanggar Agung is located on the sea front, this temple also become a favorite place for

Chinese people The Chinese people, or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with Greater China, China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by ...

pray File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

for their

cremated Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

family members. Even though Sanggar Agung is a place of worship for the Tridharma religion, many of its employees and trustees are came from any other religions such as

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. The one who saw

walked over the sea at night is a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

Tourist destination

The visitor of Sanggar Agung Temple are come from many religious background, especially people who want to see its icons or photographers and travelers. This temple is becoming the main attraction of Pantai Ria, Kenjeran Amusement Park of

. As an iconic temple, on September 21, 2010, Sanggar Agung held Full Moon Festival (

Zhongqiujie The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-S ...

) and invited many artist groups from other cities and other islands such as

Minahasa The Minahasans or Minahassa are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes. The Minahasa people sometimes refer to themselves as Manado people. Although the M ...

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

Ponorogo Ponorogo Regency (; ) is an inland Regency (Indonesia), regency () of East Java Province of Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog, Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indonesian dance form. The regency covers an area of , and it had a popu ...

, and so on. The drum band groups from

Muhammadiyah Muhammadiyah (), officially Muhammadiyah Society () is a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia.A. Jalil HamidTackle the rising cost of living longer New Straits Times, 30 October 2016. Accessed 1 November 2016. The organization ...

School and AAL were also enliven the festival.

Natural conservation efforts

The

surround the temple is a natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

for many wild life, such as

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

, sparrow, and

mudskipper Mudskippers are any of the 23 extant species of amphibious fish from the subfamily Oxudercinae of the goby family (biology), family Oxudercidae. They are known for their unusual body shapes, preferences for semiaquatic habitats, limited terrestria ...

. As such, the temple has come under conservation efforts for these fauna.

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

practitioners will often perform the ''fangshen'' ritual, a rite in which these animals are released into this habitat.

Record of MURI

The Museum of Indonesian Records (MURI) was awarded several times for the activities held at Sanggar Agung. In September 2002, the award was given to ''Soetiadji Yudho'' for holding the festival of 2000 lampion. In November 9, 2004, Sanggar Agung received an award from MURI for the largest Maha Brahma (

) statue in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. In 2007, Bintang Toedjoe, Inc. held a convoy of 108

barongsai Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance ...

from ''Kya Kya'' (old Chinese Town of Surabaya) to Sanggar Agung, Kenjeran. This was recorded as ''the longest Barongsai convoy'' by MURI and recorded by Jawa Pos Media Televisi, Inc.MURI. 11 October 2008. Access= April 15th, 2013
Konvoi Kepala Barongsai Terbanyak

List of altars

Altars inside the temple

The numbering of the altars is based on the order of praying at Sanggar Agung, starts from the front side of the temple which is overlooking the sea. :0. Dragon God (originally only an ornament, but devotees also pray to the deity) #

Tian Tian () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and cosmology. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their highest god as '' Shangdi'' or ''Di'' (, ...

Mahayana Buddhism Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism, the others being Thera ...

Pantheon:

Sakyamuni Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

Bhaisajyaguru Bhaiṣajyaguru (, zh, t= , , , , ), or ''Bhaishajyaguru'', formally Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja ("Medicine Master and King of Lapis Lazuli Light"; zh, t=藥師琉璃光(王)如來, , , ), is the Buddha of healing and medicine i ...

, Amitabha, ( Nan Hai Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa, Ksitigarbha,

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...

), and 18

Arhats In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. The unde ...

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

Altar:

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

# Tai Shang Lao Jun # Tian Shang Sheng Mu # Xuan Tian Shang Di # Guan Sheng Di Jun # Fu De Zheng Shen # Cai Shen Ye &

Ba Xian The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary '' xian (immortals)'' in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight ...

Kong Fuzi Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...

Altars on Phra Phrom yard

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

#Front side of

#Right side of

#Back side of

#Left side of

References

{{reflist

External links

Foto's van de tempelHighest Se Mien Fo - Face Buddha Statue in Indonesia
the photographs of giant Phra Phrom statue
Sanggar Agung, Tri Darma Temple Surabaya
YouTube by Eastjava Temples in Indonesia Religious buildings and structures completed in 1999 Buildings and structures in Surabaya Buildings and structures in East Java Surabaya East Java 1999 establishments in Indonesia