The next day was the day I depart for Bangkok, the moment I got to Phuket I immediately booked a bus ticket back to Bangkok. I didn’t have money to fly anymore. Anyway, I was in no hurry to go back to Bangkok. Apparently, there have been some demonstrations in Bangkok and I don’t want to be anywhere near these places. It was still early in the day so I decided to take a walk around the town.
Just behind the Joe Mansion, was one of the roundabouts in the town. Around the roundabout was a Chinese style temple. The name was in Thai so I didn’t know what they call it, but there were Chinese characters on the gate which says Fu Yuan Gong or Lucky Money Court. This was a small temple and it is dwarfed by the numerous Thai Buddhist temples that dot the country. Nevertheless this temple stands as a reminder of the diversity of the culture of Thailand.
There weren’t any tourists visiting the temple since it doesn’t really stand out that much. In fact, most people would just pass it by. It was interesting that the temple is very Chinese. This was probably a result of the influx of Chinese immigrants during Phuket’s heyday as a mining hub. The fact that it has stood the test of time here also gives an indication of the strength of the Chinese community here in Phuket.
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