Tha Ruea Shrine

Tha Ruea Shrine is the oldest Chinese temples in Phuket. The shrine is dedicated to Pra Po Seng Tai Te. Life Saving God or God of Doctor. The legend of Tha Rua Shrine origins back more than 100 years, when a man living in Thalang had a statue of the deity Po Seng, the “life saving god”, in his home. The man became ill and was visited by a monk, who became a spirit medium for Po Seng. The god’s ancient healing techniques helped heal the man through the monk. Word of the man’s recovery spread through the village, and everybody started to visit the monk seeking his healing powers. One time, a wealthy man came to see the monk, who helped cure him of his illness. The monk never asked for anything in return for the treatment, but to honour the “life saving god”, the wealthy man donated money to build a shrine to house the Po Seng statue. A small temple was built, and over the years, it expanded as it gained more followers. Today you see a new building, which was constructed in year 2000.