Hong San Si Temple on Carpenter Street is one of Kuching's oldest Chinese temples, an active place of worship rather than a museum piece. The carved wooden doors, the gilded altar arrangements, the smell of incense, and the sounds of occasional prayers and rituals are the real thing, not a tourist reconstruction. The temple serves the local Hokkien community and is particularly busy during major Chinese festivals.
The exterior is modest by Chinese temple standards; the interior rewards a few quiet minutes of observation. The temple's position on Carpenter Street, among the antique and handicraft dealers, makes it an easy inclusion on any walk through the Chinese quarter. Photography is welcomed if you are respectful and ask first.