Vihara Dharmayana - The Dragon Pagoda

Established in 1876, Vihara Dharmayana stands as one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Bali and the only one of its kind in Kuta. Known locally as Kongco Kuta, the temple was built to honour Tan Hu Cin Jin, a Chinese nobleman and architect who served the King of Mengwi. The site was famously visited by the 14th Dalai Lama during his tour of the island in 1982.

The super colourful temple stands out from the busy street

Originally constructed to shelter monks during the rainy season when it became difficult for them to lead a nomads life, this temple was designed to reflect a traditional Vihara. The main building of the temple, the baktisala, is dominated by vibrant shades of red and yellow which promote prosperity. Rows of colourful lanterns adorn the ceiling of the main pagoda and elaborate Chinese carvings such as dragons and lions decorate the walls and pillars.

Beside the Baktisala is a smaller prayer room called the Dharmasala. Family prayers take place in front of various Chinese deity figurines and sacred relics. Under a huge banyan tree in the central courtyard is a unique place of worship where prayers are made to the ‘Four Faced-Buddha’. This spot is surrounded by a moat where a creep of turtles swim around & bask in the sunshine on stones.

The huge banyan tree offers a shady oasis from the chaos of Kuta

 Run by the Buddhist Dharma Semadi Foundation whose members have formed a Banjar (Balinese-style village council), they organise social activities and coordinate teaching programs for Hindu students. Every year, the Chinese community hold special celebrations to ring in the Chinese Lunar New Year with several art and dance performances.

In Buddhism, lions are symbolic of the Bodhisattvas (or the Sons of the Buddha), who have attained a high level of spiritual development

Location: Jalan Padma No.10, Kuta, Kabupaten, Badung

How to get there: The temple is located off a busy one-way road, around a 1km walk inland from Kuta beach. If you can’t be bothered walking, a motorbike taxi from the beach will cost you about 30,000IDR.

Attraction Info: The temple is open between 9:00am and 8:00pm and entry is free. Visitors are welcome to visit but basic, respectful etiquette applies. Dress conservatively and remove shoes before entering the inner rooms. No flash photography is permitted in the prayer rooms and taking pictures of certain relics is forbidden.

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