Sahn Chao Mae Kwan Im (ศาลเจ้าแม่กวนอิม)

Thai name for a Thai-Chinese shrine at the Kuti Jihn Community in Bangkok's Thonburi district (fig.), dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of Mercy (fig.), and also known as the Kian An Keng Shrine. The exact year the shrine was built is unknown, but it is said that the Hokkien Chinese who followed King Taksin to Thonburi originally had two shrines built in this area, one dedicated to Chow Seu Kong, i.e. the Thai-Tae Chew name for Luang Poo Tai Hong Kong, the other shrine devoted to Kuan U. When in the reign of King Rama V these shrines had deteriorated and fallen into disrepair, a group of Hokkien people demolished the two shrines, rebuilt a new one, and dedicated it to Kuan Yin instead. It is one of the oldest shrines in Thonburi. It features some very intricate wood carvings and murals in traditional Chinese style. In 2008, the shrine received an award for outstanding architectural conservation from the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage. See TRAVEL PICTURES (1) and (2), EXPLORER'S MAP, and WATCH VIDEO. 回