Photos taken at the Loong San Miau (Dragon Hill Temple) at Tuaran, Sabah early 2000

There is a Chinese temple called Loong San Miau (Hakka transliteration, Dragon Hill Temple) at the outskirts of town at Tuaran, Sabah, about half an hour’s drive from Kota Kinabalu, the capital city. This temple exemplifies the many Chinese temples found throughout South-East Asia. It also embodies the syncretic nature of popular Chinese religion which is a combination of the Three Teachings (‘san jiao’): Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism.

Standing in front of a statue of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy from Chinese Buddhism,

originally a Buddhist monk from India

In front of a statue of Confucius, China’s greatest social philosopher, thinker and teacher.

A quote on the wall behind reads:

“The wise are free from perplexities,

The virtuous from anxiety,

The bold from fear.”

Standing beside a statue of Zhang Guo Lao, one of the Eight Immortals from the Daoist pantheon.

We bear the same surname.