(8/24/2012)
Hundred of ethnic Chinese residents of Bali attended the inauguration of the Vihara Satya Dharma Temple on Wednesday, August 22, 2012.
Located on an 8,200 square meter plot of land near the entrance to Bali’s port of Benoa, the ornate Chinese temple is dedicates to Ma Cho – the God and Protector of the Seas.
Built at a total cost of Rp. 4 billion (US$430,000), the Vihara was erected with donations gathered over a six year period from people in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. Many of the accessories used to decorate the temple were imported directly from China.
The inauguration was attended by the vice-governor of Bali A.A. Ngurah Puspayoga and Tri Darma religious devotees.
The temple is also intended to serve as a place of worship for the thousands of sailors transiting the nearby port of Benoa.
The opening ceremony was celebrated with a “Barongsai” or traditional Lion Dance and fireworks.
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