Located 145 km north of Pontianak , capital of West Kalimantan,
Singkawang is the second largest city in the province, bordering
the State of Sarawak, Malaysia. Unlike other towns in Indonesia,
Singkawang has a distinct oriental atmosphere with hundreds of
Chinese temples found around almost every corner of town. This
is because over 70% of Singkawang’s population is of Chinese
descent, predominantly of the Hakka tribe with some Teochew.
Others are Malays, Dayaks and other Indonesian ethnic groups. In
the 18th century, West Borneo lured many from mainland China to
the gold mines at Monterado (today called the Bengkayang
district). The Chinese came by the thousands, and on their way
there they used to overnight in Singkawang. Most settled here
and their descendents today form the majority population of
Singkawang. One of the oldest temples here is the Tri Dharma
Bumi Raya temple , established in 1878 dedicated to the god of
the forest, or Tua Peh Kong. Normally a quiet city, Singkawang
comes alive each Chinese