Minister of Culture encourages See Hin Kiong Temple to become a National Cultural Heritage

Fadli Zon reviewing the See Hin Kiong Temple in Padang, West Sumatra, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (IST)

PADANG - Minister of Culture (Menbud) Fadli Zon reviewed the See Hin Kiong Temple in Padang, West Sumatra, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, while emphasizing the government's encouragement to accelerate the preservation of one of the historic places of worship in the city. The focus is not only on building maintenance, but also on strengthening the status of the temple so that it can be upgraded to a national cultural heritage.

Fadli Zon said the See Hin Kiong Temple is one of the oldest temples in Padang and is estimated to have been established since 1841. According to the Minister, the building is important not only because of its age, but also because it is a strong trace of Chinese cultural acculturation with the Minangkabau social and customary environment.

"See Hin Kiong Temple is one of the oldest temples in the Padang area. This temple is estimated to have been built in 1841, where the See Hin Kiong temple certainly has an important historical value because it is a tangible manifestation of cultural acculturation," said Fadli Zon.

Fadli Zon photo together in the temple area. (IST)

He added, the See Hin Kiong Temple had burned in the 1860s, then was renovated again in 1890. Currently, the building has the status of a provincial cultural heritage. The government, wants the proposal process to be carried out at the national level immediately after the revitalization and study of its historical and social-cultural values is completed.

"In the past, the See Hin Kiong Temple was burned in the 1860s, but it was renovated again in 1890 and has become a cultural heritage at the provincial level. However, we hope that this temple will soon become a national cultural heritage," he said.

In addition to revitalization, the Ministry of Culture also highlighted the importance of documenting the history of the temple. This step is considered important to map places of worship and cultural heritage in the archipelago, especially the traces of the See Hin Kiong Temple have been recorded in early visual documentation of the Dutch East Indies, including Woodbury and Page's works around 1857.

The chairman of the See Hin Kiong Tan Kim Siong Temple expressed his support for the preservation efforts. For the Chinese community in Padang, the temple is not only a place of worship, but also a marker of collective memory that holds spiritual heritage, traditions, and traces of cultural mixing.

During the visit, Fadli Zon also said that the revitalization of the temple would be directed with careful planning so that its historical function would be maintained. The government opened the possibility of the area being developed as a living heritage, museum, as well as a cultural and tourist destination.