Sam Po Kong temple complex consists of a number of pavilions and caves of the Great Temple Sam Po Kong, Tho Pagoda Tee Kong, and four places of worship (Kyai Interpreter Mudi, Kayai Anchors, Earth and Mbah Kyai Kyai Cundrik Tumpeng). Great Pagoda and the cave is the most important building is the center of all activities and worship. The cave, which has a spring that never dried is believed to be petilasan who once occupied the Sam Po Tay Djien (Zheng He) Form of pagoda building is a flat roofed single building. In contrast to other types of pagoda, pagoda does not have a separate gallery, In the middle there is a space of worship Sam Po.
According to the story, at the beginning of the 15th century admiral Zheng He was having a sea voyage along the coast of Java and came to a peninsula. Because there is a sick crew, he ordered landed along a river that is now known as the river Kaligarang, He landed in a village named Simongan. Following up on land, he discovered a stone cave and used to meditate and worship places, Zeng He decided to stay for a while the place is. While his crew are ill treated and given medication of foliage herb that exist around the place.
After hundreds of years later, in October 1724 a ceremony was held at the same time large-scale building of the temple as an expression of gratitude to Sam Po Tay Djien. Twenty years earlier reported that the cave is believed to be a place of meditation, Sam Po collapse struck by lightning. Not long after the cave was rebuilt and placed inside the statue of Sam Po with four of his men brought in from China. At the celebration in 1724 has been added to the building overhang at the front of the cave.
The annual celebration of the landing anniversary of Zheng He is one of the main agenda in the city of Semarang. The celebration begins with a religious ceremony at Tay Kak Sie temple, in Gang Lombok. After that followed by the procession statues of Sam Po Kong temple in Tay Kak Sie to Gedong Batu. The statue is then placed side by side with Sam Po Kong statue of the original in Gedong Batu.
This unique tradition started since the second half of the 19th century. At that time, Simongan area controlled by a greedy landlord. The people who want to visit Sam Po Kong temple are required to pay a sum of money which was very expensive. Since most pilgrims unable to pay, then transferred to the cult activities Tay Kak Sie temple. A replica statue of Sam Po Kong is then created and placed in the Tay Kak Sie temple. Each of 29 or 30 months according to the sixth Chinese Lunar Calendar, the statue is a duplicate of the Tay Kak Sie paraded to the Gedong Batu a replica statue was meant to get a blessing from the original statue inside the temple Gedong Batu.
In 1879 or the fifth year of Guang Xu, the area was purchased by Oei Tjie Simongan Sien. Tjie Oei Sien was the father of Oei Tiong Ham, donors are also known as â € œRaja Gulaâ € Indonesia. Since then, the pilgrims can pray at the temple of Gedong Batu free of any cost and management of temple affairs of the Foundation submitted to the local Sam Po Kong. Sam Po Kong parade was revived in 1937 and continues to be an attraction until now.