Culture Minister Pushes for See Hin Kiong Temple to Become National Cultural Heritage Site
Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon inspected the See Hin Kiong Temple in Padang City, West Sumatra. This inspection is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to preserve historic places of worship in the West Sumatra region.
Fadli explained that the See Hin Kiong Temple represents a concrete manifestation of Chinese cultural acculturation in Minang land, highlighting the richness of local customs. According to him, the historical journey of the See Hin Kiong Temple is an ongoing effort to strengthen diversity and enrich the treasury of cultural heritage in Padang.
“The See Hin Kiong Temple is one of the oldest temples in the Padang region. This temple is estimated to have been built in 1841, and the See Hin Kiong Temple undoubtedly holds important historical and heritage value as it is a concrete manifestation of cultural acculturation,” Fadli stated in his remarks on Thursday (16/4/2026).
During his visit, Fadli also emphasised accelerating the proposal for the See Hin Kiong Temple to become a national-level cultural heritage site. The proposal will be carried out after the revitalisation process takes place, including conducting in-depth studies on the historical and socio-cultural value of the See Hin Kiong Temple.
“In the past, the See Hin Kiong Temple was once burned in the 1860s, but it was then renovated again in 1890 and has become a provincial-level cultural heritage. However, we hope this temple will soon become a national-level cultural heritage,” Fadli stated.
In addition to empirical studies, Fadli also encouraged the documentation of the history of the See Hin Kiong Temple to map cultural heritage and places of worship in the Archipelago. This step is considered crucial, given that the existence of the See Hin Kiong Temple has been strongly recorded in early Dutch East Indies visual documentation, including through the works of pioneering photographers Woodbury and Page around 1857.
Concluding the visit, Fadli hopes for synergy between the Ministry of Culture and local government in preserving the See Hin Kiong Temple.
“We will revitalise this temple together, but of course with careful planning. After revitalisation, we hope the See Hin Kiong Temple can become a living heritage, museum, as well as a cultural and tourism destination,” Fadli said.
In agreement, the Chairman of the See Hin Kiong Temple, Tan Kim Siong, expressed his support for the preservation of places of worship in Padang City, including the See Hin Kiong Temple.
He stated that the See Hin Kiong Temple is a place of worship as well as concrete evidence of the collective memory of the Chinese community in Padang City. Its distinctive architecture represents dynamic cultural acculturation, while also serving as a centre for developing spiritual values and traditions passed down across generations.
For information, those present at the inspection included the Mayor of Padang, Fadly Amran; Director General of Cultural Protection and Traditions, Restu Gunawan; Special Staff to the Culture Minister for Protocol and Household Affairs, Rachmanda Primayuda; and Head of the West Sumatra Cultural Preservation Agency, Nurmatias.