Wayang Park, Kuching
Did Rajah James Brooke See a Deity Here?

Wayang Park is probably the smallest and most overlooked park in Sarawak even though it is in the historic heart of Kuching and passed by thousands of motorists and pedestrians every day.

view of Wayang mini park.This is the full extent of tiny Wayang Park which comprises a handful of ornamental trees and bushes, a clump of bamboo as well as a small pond and a water hydrant.

This mini-garden is located in an alleyway just off Wayang Street, facing the famous Hong San Si Taoist Temple (also known as Kueh Seng Onn Temple). The park may be tiny but it has an interesting legend attached to it as explained on a brass plaque displayed there:

'During the White Rajah Brooke's era, Rajah James Brooke, the First Rajah of Sarawak was passing by the Hong San Si Grand stage and saw a little boy of age about seven years old playing with water at the site. Rajah James Brooke later enquired as who the little boy was but no one was sure who he saw. Describing to the locals how the little boy looked like, the locals were amazed as no little boy of such description ever existed in Kuching. The locals believed that the little boy was the manifestation of the Deity Kong Teck Choon Ong and out of respect, Rajah James Brooke erected a water hydrant next to the Hong San Si temple for the little boy with the hope of bringing prosperity to Kuching.'

view of Hong San Si temple facing the parkThe pond and water hydrant at Wayang Park with Hong San Si temple behind.
close up of the water hydrant and pondThe water hydrant and pond. According to the information board, the water hydrant was removed during road construction and kept in storage by the Kuching Hokkien Association for many years before being returned in 2006 to the exact site where it was first laid by Rajah James Brooke.

The information plaque leaves some questions unanswered. For example, one has to wonder what it was about the boy that grabbed the Rajah's attention. Some reports say that he was playing with turtles in a pool of water at this spot. And what was it about the Rajah's description of the boy that convinced the locals that no such boy had ever existed?

Across the street from the park there is a statue of the Deity Kong Teck Choon Ong in the Hong San Si temple. We can only see his face but there does not appear to be anything especially remarkable about his appearance that should have attracted the Rajah's attention apart from a slightly blackened nose which might be due to the statue's age..

ornate wooden statue of the Deity.I was informed at the temple that this is the statue of Deity Kong Teck Choon Ong displayed on the altar at Hong San Si Temple just opposite Wayang Park.

After many years of neglect the water hydrant was reinstalled at its original position and Wayang Park was declared open on 2006. The space is used for various events during the year such as the Moon Cake Festival, Chinese New Year and so on. Next time you are passing, take a closer look at Wayang Park and if you see any boy playing next to the pond he could be a Deity!

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AUTHOR BIO

the author

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing first-hand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published over 790 pages on this website, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places that even some Malaysians have never visited.