Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

Just before the weekend a new and reconstructed statue at Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon has been officially opened with a ceremony.

It's the second change within a few years. In 2012 there was a ceremony for a complete new shrine and as the previous link shows, with a big red head in front of the shrine.

Frontal view of the renewed statue at the Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

Well, this head has now been replaced with the new statue that is in the pictures in this post.

What I still dearly remember is the original old, wooden Guang Yu shrine, check out this post from June 2008. I was well impressed with the shrine and it surroundings and to be quite honest, I liked that old wooden shrine a lot more than the new one.

A side view of the renewed statue at the Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

Having said that, the new statue is impressive and looks good, however, the atmosphere on the old shrine was unique and has not been caught in my humble opinion with the new concrete shrine complex. How impressive it may look like. 

Guess it's called progress, as with plenty more things around the island.

A rear view of the renewed statue at the Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

The previous big, red head was impressive in it's right, but admittedly, this new statue has something going for itself and it's all part of Koh Samui history with a strong Hainanese link to the shrine.
The Chinese island of Hainan is where the original inhabitants, or at least a lot or most of them, originate from.

Inside the renewed Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

This can be found back at the original Hainanese style of most of the original wooden houses around Hua Thanon and the restaurant next to the Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon, where you can find this restaurant,

The actual shrine at the Guang Yu Shrine in Hua Thanon

It's well worth a stop, if you drive by or are doing a trip around the island, in that case it;s almost a mandatory stop. There's a very different feel and vibe at this shrine compared to a traditional Thai temple, of which you can find many around the island.

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Camille