As Batam was merely a fishing villages some 30 years ago, we cannot expect it to have great old monuments, artefacts or museums as places with hundreds or even thousnds of years of history. But we could find some newly built monuments with great charisma within the island.

Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya
The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist temple at Batam Centre is one of the example of those great modern day monuments. It’s massive and beautiful figure surely amazes people who are viewing it. The building was opened in 1999 and still undergone some development. It is regarded as one of the biggest temple ever built in South Asia.

The temple was built by the Chinese Community in Batam, which the concept was said to be revealed in a series of visions received by the leaders. Now, thousands of Buddhists from all over Indonesia and within the region come to Batam to visit the temple, pray and study in it. The temple itself is open to the public and visitors are warmly welcomed. Another temple worth visiting is the Toa Pek Kong Chinese Temple in Nagoya.

Dewi Kuong Im Monument
There is another Buddhist monument taking place in Batam, the Dewi Kuong Im monument, the Buddhist goddess of prosperity. However, the monument is said to be controversial, as it overlooks the ocean where across the ocean there is Singapore, giving an expression that the monument is built to give Singapore the prosperity by te goddes, but not to Batam. The statue itself also have some problems with the local authorities, because it stands 26 metres and that means it is higher than the Garuda Nusantara Monument in Hang Nadim International Airport. But nonetheless, it is a breathtaking monument worth visiting.

Another strikingly beautiful place of worship is the Mosque that takes pride of place by the waterfront at Batam Centre. However, all Mosques are not open to non-Muslim visitors.

Batam Temples
Batam has several Buddhist & Hindu Temples in various locations across the island. The temples have worshippers visiting daily and most temples allow tourists & visitors to come and look around.

Tua Pek Kong Temple
Tua Pek Kong Temple (also known as Vihara Buddhi Bhakti Temple) is a very famous temple located in Nagoya. It is well used by the locals for their daily prayers and offerings.

Adhi Vinayakar Temple
Adhi Vinayakar Hindu Temple is near Nagoya, and is worshipped by the Hindu’s from all over the island.

Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple
The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple is at Batam Centre and is one of the largest Buddhist Temples in South East Asia.

Generally there are two types of Batam Temples; Buddhist & Hindu. The temples have worshippers visiting daily and most temples allow tourists & visitors to come and look around.

Many hotels & tour operators provide sightseeing trips to the temples, so if you are staying some distance away from the temples you should be able to arrange a visit through your hotel.

Batam’s Temples are located in the following areas of Batam:
    * Nagoya City Area Temples
    * Batam Center Area Temples

Batam Temples - Nagoya City Area
Nagoya is Batam’s main city with a population of several hundred thousand. It has several large hotels and dozens of smaller budget hotels
.
Nagoya has many large modern shopping complexes where you can find a large range of items, from clothes & electronics, sporting goods & souvenirs, to specialized boutiques.

As Nagoya has such a large population there are several temples within & near the city, and they are very popular with locals & tourists alike

All Nagoya Temples are approximately the following distance from these locations:

    * 30 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
    * 10 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
    * 20 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
    * 30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
    * 35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
    * 40 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Tua Pek Kong Temple
Tua Pek Kong Temple is a very famous temple located in Nagoya. Also known as Vihara Buddhi Bhakti Temple, it is well used by the locals for their daily prayers and offerings. The temple is open daily and visitors are welcome.

The temple is built in the traditional Chinese style and has many courtyard statues and several wall paintings.

Adhi Vinayakar Temple
Adhi Vinayakar Hindu Temple is in Sei Ladi hills, just a few minutes south of Nagoya, and is worshipped by the Hindu’s from all over the island.

Back in 2005 twenty Indian Hindu priests (Maharesi) lead Sri Lalitha Maha Thirupurasundari's purification ceremony at a prayer center for a Hindu community in the Agung Amertha Bhuana Temple (AAB Temple) area, which is part of the Adhi Vinayakar Hindu Temple.

There is a restaurant nearby, the Kak Dadut, which serves vegetarian meals, seafood, Balinese & Lombok Island style food, some Western food as well as local favorites
Batam Temples - Batam Center Area
The Batam Center area is on the north side of Batam and has several shopping malls, restaurants and some hotels.

It is home to one of the largest temples in South East Asia and attracts many visitors each day

All Batam Center Temples are approximately the following distance from these locations:

    * 20 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
    * 20 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
    * 5 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
    * 30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
    * 35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
    * 30 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in South East Asia and is a major attraction in Batam. The temple is located near to the Batam Center ferry terminal.

The main chamber consists of statues of Buddha, and the side chambers are Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) and Guan Gong deity. Inside there is a shop selling Buddhist items and a vegetarian restaurant, offering a variety of vegetarian dishes & fruit drinks

Batam has quite a large Chinese community and Batam is also a popular holiday destination for Singaporeans, so the temple is very popular and draws large crowds each day. Most hotels can arrange for tours or you can take a taxi and see for yourself.