Koh Samui’s shrine to ancient Chinese warrior lies neglected in Covid era

[webfact]

Koh Samui’s shrine to ancient Chinese warrior lies neglected in Covid era

By THE NATION

 

 

Koh Samui’s shrine to the Chinese god of loyalty, Guan Yu, has had very few visitors since Covid-19 hit Thailand and the rest of the world.

 

 

The food stalls and restaurants near the 16-metre-tall statue are also struggling from the lack of customers. 

 

Guan Yu served as a military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was deified during the Sui dynasty (581-618) and is worshipped today as a bodhisattva in Buddhism and as a guardian deity in Chinese folk religion and Taoism.

 

 

Thais began holding the deity in high esteem after learning about him in the 14th-century novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, which covered the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms between 169AD and 280AD.

 

Guan Yu is worshipped by businessmen, police officers and even members of criminal gangs for strength, courage, perseverance and wealth.

 

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30393546

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-26

 

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[Geoffggi]

Maybe people are afraid because he doesn't wear a mask ..................LOL

[Chassa]

So.....................................?

[ThailandRyan]

it was built as a Chinese tourist attraction or lure, nothing else. It is neglected because the funds probably donated to build it relied on tourist dollars.  Just scrap it like the Submarine purchases.

[klauskunkel]

Love the eyebrows!

[thenewgoo]

If Bangkok Airways would consider lowering their ridiculous fares to Samui from Chiang Mai and Bangkok, maybe domestic tourists would flood to this spectacular tourist attraction.

[khunPer]

Even in tourist season I've unfortunately never seen many visitors, or business, there when I have brought my guests to the shrine, so no one should be surprised that there are less now, when the island has no tourists coming.

 

If the images in the article are from now, the shrine seems more busy than I've seen it.

 

My picture below is from Chinese New Year 2018, peak season for Chinese visitors to Samui...

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

it was built as a Chinese tourist attraction or lure, nothing else. It is neglected because the funds probably donated to build it relied on tourist dollars.  Just scrap it like the Submarine purchases.

You seem to forget that the original inhabitants on Samui since the 17th century are Chinese migrants, the island has several Chinese temples with lots of local activity...????

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, khunPer said:

You seem to forget that the original inhabitants on Samui since the 17th century are Chinese migrants, the island has several Chinese temples with lots of local activity...????

I did not forget the Sino Thai connection, but it was not built just for them as I indicated, it was a shrine to a god revered by the Chinese for loyalty, and it was hoped that it would bring in tourism dollars for those that came to the Island, why else build it and the surrounding shops. 

[Burma Bill]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Guan Yu is worshipped by businessmen, police officers and even members of criminal gangs for strength, courage, perseverance and wealth.

Well I never - the Chinese God of Corruption!!!

[sammieuk1]

Don't need a statue to remember what the Chinese have done to us do we????

[ronaldo0]

Only time I see that area busy is when they hold the market night and it’s mostly a cooked food market .

[islandguy]

Before they finished the complex, which includes apartments, the giant head was displayed where the entire statue is now for some time. I saw it busy many times in 2018-2019.

[LazySlipper]

On 8/27/2020 at 1:26 PM, Burma Bill said:

Well I never - the Chinese God of Corruption!!!

Kinda reminiscent of the Catholic Italian Mafia innit?

 

Kill on Monday confessional on Sunday...

 

Same same but different...