The Hock Teik Cheng Sin at Armenian Street is a place with many different names. Founded in 1844, the Hock Teik Cheng Sin moved to its present site in 1850. It is most popularly known as the Hokkien Tua Pek Kong Temple, after its patron deity, the Taoist god of prosperity. But due to its past as the base of the Khian Teik Tong secret society, the Hock Teik Cheng Sin is also known by the names of the many societies which the Khian Teik Tong registered in its place, including the Poh Hock Seah, the Hokkien Kongsi, Cheng Hoe Seah and Tong Kheng Seah.
These legitimately registered societies were created when the British authorities outlawed the Khian Teik secret society in 1890. It simply transferred its assets to these societies. The Poh Hock Seah inherits the religious functions of the Khian Teik in running the Hokkien Tua Pek Kong temples in Armenian Street as well as at the Tanjong Tokong Tua Pek Kong Temple, where the annual flame watching ritual called Chneah Hoay is conducted.
Hock Teik Cheng Sin, Armenian Street, Penang.
When restoration work was corried out at the Hock Teik Cheng Sin, triangular fighting flags were uncovered. These were probably in use during the 1867 Penang Riot, when the Hokkien Tua Pek Kong and the Red Flag Society fought against the Cantonese Ghee Hin and the White Flag Society. Warring factions were the state of affairs among the various Chinese clans in Penang during the late 19th Century. To provide for an easy escape, there is a secret passage at the side yard of the Hokkien Tua Pek Kong temple that leads to the grounds of its ally, the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.
As this article is written, the Hock Teik Cheng Sin is still in the midst of a RM1.3 million restoration project which includes the temple gateway, the stage, 10 neighbouring shops and of course, the temple itself.
Hock Teik Cheng Sin Photo Gallery
Main chamber of the Tua Pek Kong temple.
All the beams and decorations look brand new after the restoration.
The offerings table.
Intricate artwork on the ceiling beams reflect the artistry of the Chinese craftsmen
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Penang has one of the highest concentration of Chinese temples in Southeast Asia. Let AsiaExplorers take you on a journey to explore some of the most ornate temples in Penang, documented through photographs and carefully researched text.
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