Gong Wu Shrine

 GONG WU SHRINE                        

GONG WU SHRINE IS AN ANCIENT SHRINE AND HAS A HISTORY DATING BACK TO OVER 268 YEARS, IT IS LOCATED ON THE BANK OF THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER IN SOMDET YA (PRINCESS MOTHER) COMMUNITY NEAR BY SOMDET YA PARK, BEHIND WAT ANONG KHARAM IN KHLONG SAN AREA OF THONBURI SIDE ACCRDING TO THE LEGEND, IT IS TO BE SAID THAT IN THE CHINESE STYLED SHRINE THERE ARE ALTOGETHER THREE GONG WU STATUES.  THE SMALLEST STATUE WAS BROUGHT TO THAILAND AROUND THE YEAR 1736, WHICH WAS DURING THE TIME THAT EMPEROR CHEN LONG OF THE OING DYNASTY WAS REIGNING IN CHINA.  THE HOKKIAN CHINESE BROUGHT IT BY SHIP FROM HOKKIAN PROVINCE AND ENSHRINED IT IN THE SHRINE WHICH WAS VERY SMALL AT THAT TIME.   

LATER ON IN 1802 DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR CHIA QING OF THE QING DYNASTY, THE MIDDLE GONG WU STATUE WAS BROUGHT TO THAILAND AS WELL, AND THE SHRINE WAS THEN NAMED GUANG DI GU MIAO.  THEN IN THE YEAR 1822 DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR TAO GUANG OF THE QING DYNASTY, THERE WAS A RICH CHINESE NAMED MR. KUNG SENG WHO RENOVATED THE SHRINE AND MADE IT BIGGER, AND HE BROUGHT THE THIRD STATUE TO ENSHRINE TOGETHER WITH THE EXISTING ONES IN THE SHRINE, BESIDES HE ALSO BUULT A BELL FOR THE SHRINE. CONSEQUENTLY, IN THE YEAR 1901 THE COMMITTEE AND DISCIPLES CONSIDERED TO REBUILD THE NEW SHRINE BECAUSE THE OLD WAS DILAPIDATED,ONCE IT WAS COMPLETED THEY NAMED IT GUANG DI GU SHENG MIAO.

Credit :  board Gong Wu Shrine