Bang Liao Shrine

Bang Liao Shrine in Phuket Town,

Bang Liao Shrine is a well over hundred years old shrine located in Phuket Town on the island of Phuket.

The Bang Liao Shrine, also known by a few different names such as Bang Niew or Bang Neow as well as Tao Buang Keng and the Thep Rasi Foundation Shrine, is a beautiful and fascinating shrine which is of major importance during the Vegetarian Festival held in October every year.

This is one of the most popular shrine in Phuket, especially for Thai with Chinese heritage. First built in 1904, the shrine used to be connected to another shrine on Soi Romanee in the old part of Phuket Town, but has since been moved a few times due to fires, and been rebuilt near the Bang Neow intersection close to the McDonald’s and Robinson department store.

Going through the typical rich Chinese decorated gate you will realize that the Bang Liao Shrine is very wide and contains ten shrines lined up next to each other with the main deity housed in the shrine right in the middle of the complex. Its colorful murals recount legends based on ancient Chinese literature.

A proverb in the Chinese language states “Hoping one’s son will become a dragon“!.. Thus illustrating the qualities to which a person has to aspire: power, strength and good luck!
That is the reason why you see the symbol of the dragon, an important Chinese legendary creature, depicted everywhere, on the numerous paintings as well as on the artfully carved columns supporting the shrine.

The small building on the left side of the shrine serves mainly as the administration office for most part of the year. It transforms itself into a kitchen, preparing and serving vegetarian food, during the Vegetarian Festival: a time when the participants abstains from meat and other stimulants in the belief that it will bring them good health and peace of mind.