Kek Lo Sie Temple, Penang

I’m going to continue share to you about my last journey in Penang ^_^

IF you are happened to visit Penang, give yourself a chance to visit this huge Buddhist temple, Kek Lo Sie temple.

 

On our way to Penang Hill, we noticed there is a high temple on the hill. So we planned to visit it later after we finish walk around the hill.

Then we went there, to the temple. The name of the temple is Kek Lo Sie.

 

From Penang Hill, we need to take the same Rapid Bus # 204 from Bukit Bendera, then we stopped in Air Itam market, after pay around 1 RM to the driver. We felt hungry that time and Penang is so hot in the day time. We prefer to eat in local street food, then I chose a shrimp noodle which really spicy and hot, yumm yumm!

Passing the Air Item market, this durian really tempting for me

 

They just taste so delicious as the picture!

 

The weather on that day was so hot. To make us feel energized again, my friend and Quincy – the Beijing girl we meet in Penang, bought the Chinese traditional tea. Glad we had her along our walk in Penang, since she able to speak Chinese and mostly people who sell food in Penang are Chinese people.

 

If you want to go to the temple, you should be prepared to climb the stairs. It looks quite easy, but when we walked there, we need so much energy to finally able to arrived on the top of the temple. There is a purpose why they put a warning sign in the main gate about how hard it is to go to the top and how we should be careful because there is no fee to go inside of the temple therefore there is no insurance provided for guest.

The temple up on that hill, be ready for some stairs to climb.

My friend, Valentina, posed in front of the temple.

 

Kek Lok Sie temple is a Buddhist temple, which having a completed giant Quan Yin bronze statue in 2002, with a 30,2 metre high. The head of old Quan Yin statue which damaged because of the fire few years before, still exist in another building. The meaning of Kek Lo Sie is the Temple for Supreme Bliss and counted as best known temple on the island. Some Buddhist believe that when one departs from this world, they are placed by Guan Yin in the heart of a lotus and send to Land of Bliss (Sukhavati).

There is an unique story about Quan Yin, a goddess that previous represent as a man. But later in change in female figure which famous with her character of compassion and kindness. Quan Yin herself always represented as a beautiful, white-robed woman. For people who believe to her, the changing figure from male to female is to make her easier to help women who needs her helps.

The figure of Quan Yin in Kek Lo Sie temple.

 

In second floor, you will see another temple where you can say a prayer there. I saw a wishes tree, a tree full with wishes from many people who went to the temple and pray there. There is also a  beautiful pagoda and Buddha statue in the center park of the temple. You will see some old beggars also sit there in the alley to go to the temple.

The pagoda and statue in a way to go to Quan Yin hall.

My wish as well of wishes come true 😉

 

Since the main entrance of the temple, in lower ground, you can see a huge shops that sell many stuff for Buddhist people. Even in another floor, on way to take the inclined lift to Quan Yin statue, you also will cross another shop. To take the inclined lift, you need to pay RM 3 for one way for adult and RM 1,5 for children. It is suggested to take only one way up, then walk down to enjoy the view of the temple. I like the inclined lift, even it’s located in such extreme trail, again, just like that train in Penang Hill, you won’t feel anything when stand inside of the inclined lift. Only few minutes, then voila, you already up there, in another floor close to the Quan Yin pagoda. Don’t forget to enjoy the view while going up, since you can see part of Bukit Bendera town and another cities from the inclined lift. The inclined lift only operated from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.

The inclined lift trail, up to the highest floor of the temple.

View of Penang town from the lift.

 

Because of the fire, the temple still in reconstruction and donation from some sponsor make it build the expansion. There is no explanation what caused the fire, but if you walk from the parking car area, you will see many statues still in the boxes and ready to put inside of the temple. The thing that I don’t understand in the temple, why so many funny or cartoon statues there? Maybe there just for fun to the kids? I don’t know. But those statues are so cute and make the temple has a warm atmosphere.

He looks like want to go to a gala dinner party, isn’t he?

 

Cheers,

Dea