Vihara Dharmayana Temple - Old Chinese Buddhist Temple in Kuta

Vihara Dharmayana Temple is the Old Chinese Buddhist Temple, dating back nearly 200 years. Stands majestically as one of the very few cultural landmarks Hidden amid Kuta’s traffic frenzy and surfing paradise glamour. This age-old Chinese Buddhist temple was one of the various Buddhist sites in Bali visited by Tibet’s 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, on his international tour in 1982 so it certainly has pedigree.

Vihara Dharmayana Temple located only a kilometre east from Kuta’s main coastal strip. Often referred to by the locals as ‘Kongco Leeng Gwan Kuta’, or simply ‘Kongco Kuta’. Slightly inconspicuous due to its location on a corner of Jalan Blambangan, a one-way route usually congested with traffic, the temple’s bright red walls and murals can easily be spotted by taking a leisurely stroll around the area.

Vihara Dharmayana Temple

Good to Know About Vihara Dharmayana Temple

Vihara Dharmayana Temple Kuta dates back to 1876, and serves as a great opportunity to get a glimpse into the rich history of Kuta. Despite its age, the temple is very well-maintained thanks to the generations of local devotees, mostly of Chinese descent, who regularly visit the temple for prayers and communal activities, especially around the Lunar New Year. Its main structures feature intricate far eastern-style architecture, creating a vivid and striking sight with no apparent sign of aging.

Escaping the hectic traffic scene and stepping into the temple’s courtyard offers a calming sense of peace and tranquillity, with constant wafts of incense smoke from the altars further adding to the spiritual atmosphere. This Kuta oasis is comprised of a main structure, known as the Baktisala, which features large round lanterns hanging from the rims of its roof supported by giant red pillars wrapped by menacing dragons.

Next to the Baktisala is a smaller structure, the Dharmasala, where family prayers take place in front of smaller relics, various Chinese deity figurines and a wall mural of the Borobuder temple. Opposite the Baktisala and under a banyan tree is a unique place of worship where prayers are made to the ‘Four Faced-Buddha’. This spot is surrounded by a small moat where a collection of turtles swim around or bask on the stones, offering a quite a peculiar sight.

Outside visitors are welcome to Vihara Dharmayana Temple, but basic rules to follow include proper attire (no shorts or singlets) and no flash photography in the praying rooms (picture taking of certain relics is forbidden). A friendly senior temple keeper usually stands near the outside altar, either folding joss paper for offerings or arranging incense sticks, and they can provide some useful insights into the temple and its history (in Indonesian and broken English).