San Tai Zi Temple

San Tai Zi Temple (三太子)

វិហារ​លោកតា​ សាន ថៃជី
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San Tai Zi temple is located at the corner of street number 211, along the edge of Bassac River and Steung Prek Thnot. It was built in 2009 at Krong Ta Khmao, Kandal Province.

San Tai Zi temple is marked as one of the most beautiful Chinese temples in Ta Khmao town with building, sculptures and other artificial styles following traditional Chinese architecture. This temple is served as the worshipped place by both Taoists and Buddhists and for holding of customary ceremonies by Chinese Cambodians. It is also an attractive place for general visitors both believers and non-believers alike.

Noted that San Tai Zi’s origins are Buddhists, but well known for Taoists as “Na-Zha/Na-Cha (哪吒)”, the third son of a great general in the Chinese legend named Li Jing, who later became the "Pagoda-wielding Heavenly King". However, According to Meir Shahar, Nezha is based on two figures from Hindu mythology. The first one is Yaksha and the second one is Krishna.

San Tai Zi temple of Ta Khmao Town consists of the local superstition as a sculpture of Neak Ta can be seen in a shrine under banyan tree. There are also other sculptures of Bodhisattvas such as Xuanzang (Tang Sanzang) and Guanshiyin.