An evaluation of the implementation of Chinese temple layout principles in Bali, Indonesia

According to archaeological research, there has long been a strong cultural relationship between China and Bali. As part of this history, the Chinese brought their indigenous cultural values with them, particularly their practice of worshipping ancestors and their syncretic belief in three major religious doctrines. The Chinese temple is the primary physical manifestation of this belief and has become identified with their community. The Chinese community in Bali has also lived side-by-side with Balinese culture and through a process of adaptation there has emerged a transformation of the Chinese temple spatial layout in Bali. This paper will identify the influence of Balinese culture on the layout of Chinese temples in Bali and evaluate this influence, by analysing the five basic principles in Chinese temple layout, and how these symbolic meanings have been altered due to being in Bali.