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Kek Lok Si Temple
Temple of Supreme Bliss, Air Itam, Penang

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Kek Lok Si, the Temple of Supreme Bliss (1 February, 2003).

Kek Lok Si Location Map

Kek Lok Si Temple Complex (28 January, 2006)


Tortoises in the Liberation Pond at Kek Lok Si Temple (1 February, 2003)


Lanterns at Kek Lok Si during Chinese New Year (1 February, 2003)


Prayer halls at Kek Lok Si Temple (28 January, 2006)


Pavilion of Seated Buddhas, Kek Lok Si Temple (28 January, 2006)

Kek Lok Si, or Temple of Supreme Bliss, is the largest and arguably the best known temple in Penang. It straddles a hillside overlooking the town of Ayer Itam and George Town beyond that. It is a temple that harmoniously blend Mahayana Buddhism with Taoist beliefs and other Chinese rituals, creating an amalgam that is uniquely its own. Since the olden days, the hills of Ayer Itam are regarded as important geomantically. Known as He San, or Crane Hill, they are recommended as a retreat for Taoist practitioners striving for immortality.

The Kek Lok Si project was mooted by the chief monk of the Kuan Yin Teng, Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Guangxu (also called Jingdi, 1875-1908, of the Qing Dynasty) who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras. Funds to get the project realised came from wealthy benefactors of that time, including Cheong Fatt Tze (of Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion), Zhang Yunan, Cheah Choon Seng, Chung Keng Kwee (the Kapitan Cina who owned Hai Kee Chan) and Tye Kee Yoon. In recognition of their contribution, they were all made the Five Principal Directors of Kek Lok Si.

The initial temple structure was built on the summit of He Shan. It cost $180,000 Straits Dollars. The 10-acre site was purchased in 1893, and the temple was completed in 1904. An official opening ceremony was conducted on 13 January, 1905.

For the first thirty-five years of its existence, the temple was without its iconic pagoda. Nevertheless it was already assuming a position as one of the most prestigious and renowned Mahayana Buddhist religious institution in Southeast Asia. It was only in 1927 that the iconic pagoda, today one of the most recognizable landmarks of Penang, came into being. Construction began in 1915 under the second abbot of Kek Lok Si, Ben Zhong, who was also instrumented in founding the Kuan Yin See. Its official name is the Pagoda of Rama VI, so named after the Thai monarch who laid the foundation stone. Generally, however, it is better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas or Ban Po That. This unusual pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, effectively fusing Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism symbols into one structure.

The two star attractions of Kek Lok Si Temple are the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas and the giant bronze statue of Kuan Yin.

The 30.2m bronze statue of the Avalokitesvara - Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin, standing on the hillside above the pagoda, was completed and open to the public at the end of 2002. The prime mover in getting the statue built was the late abbot of the temple, the Most Venerable Bai Sheng, who had wanted to build a 120-meter tall statue, but scaled it down on the height limit imposed by the state government under Koh Tsu Koon. On 6 December, 2009, a new 20-storey pavilion sheltering the statue was consecrated in a ceremony attended by Dr Koh and his successor the Rt Hon. Lim Guan Eng.

Getting there

Depending on your location, you can take Rapid Penang Bus 201, 203, 204, 206, 306 and U502. Check the Rapid Penang Bus Route for details, map and time table. The most convenient bus stop is located along Jalan Pasar, at the foothills of the temple. Jalan Pasar is a one-way street. Walk following the traffic flow until you reach a T-junction. You can see Kek Lok Si towering to the left side. Turn left and walk in its direction.

What to see and do

There are several entrances into the massive complex of Kek Lok Si. To cover it completely, let's start from the bottom and work our way up. A small river, Sungai Air Itam, with a bridge across it, marks the entrance into Kek Lok Si. On the other side of the river is an ascending pathway towards the temple. On both sides are stalls selling tourist items, souvenirs and trinkets. If any item catches your interest, be sure to bargain vigorously.

The souvenir passageway leads to the tortoise pond. One of the highlights of Kek Lok Si Temple, the pond holds hundreds of tortoise, many over fifty years old. Vendors sell kangkung (water convolvulus) which you can buy to feed the tortoise. The pond appears murky and unkempt. The pathway continues up, leading to a landing area with a parking lot to the right. Those who drive up to Kek Lok Si usually park here. Over here is a big air-conditioned souvenir shop belonging to the temple.

Question: How long does it take to walk from the foot of the hill to the temple proper?
Answer: If you intend to stop at the shops, coffee shops, tortoise ponds, you may take 40 minutes or so. A relatively fit person can climb straight to the top in 10 minutes. You can also drive to the parking lot at the temple entrance, bypassing the shops.

Above the souvenir shop, the temple proper begins. There is a round pond with a seven-tier ornamental pagoda. It is located in a square above the main Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas. A sheltered passageway leads up a flight of steps to the Chamber of Seated Buddhas. This two-storey pavilion is cloistered by rows of standing Buddha images. The seated Buddhas are surrounded by lit candles in the form of open lotus.

Even today, with funds rolling in from wealthy benefactors, Kek Lok Si Temple continues to embark on expansion programs. Among these is the construction of a shelter for the giant Kuan Yin statue. The best season to visit Kek Lok Si is during the Chinese New Year celebrations, when the temple complex is lit up with thousands of lanterns. It is particularly impressive during dusk, as the lanterns are lit up over a darkening sky. This is when you will see throngs of photography buffs jostling with devotees and worshippers to get the best angle and view.

Related Pages

1. Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas
   One of the main attractions at Kek Lok Si Temple.
   
   
2. Beautiful Kek Lok Si Temple
   Photos of Kek Lok Si Temple taken during Chinese New Year 2012.
   
   
3. Kuan Yin Pavilion
   The latest addition to the Kek Lok Si temple complex.
   
   
4. Kek Lok Si Columbarium
   Four-storey structure to house the remains of the departed.

Latest Attraction

The latest attraction at the Kek Lok Si Temple complex is the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion, consecrated on 6 December, 2009, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Penang, Rt. Hon. Lim Guan Eng, and former Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

Another sight at Kek Lok Si is the Kek Lok Si Columbarium, housed in a massive structure to the left of the Goddess of Mercy Statue.

Updates

3 June, 2011
The murky liberation pond of Kek Lok Si Temple has been criticised by the Penang Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), saying "the tortoises are living in horrendous conditions," according to honorary sectetary Dr. G.S. Gill. Temple trustee Datuk Steven Ooi said they were aware of the overcrowding, and that some tortoises would be relocated to a bigger pond when it is completed in 2012.

Goddess of Mercy Pavilion Goddess of Mercy Pavilion is a newly completed pavilion sheltering the statue of the Kuan Yin. It was consecrated on 6 December, 2009. Click link to read more about it.

Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, the signature emblem of Kek Lok Si Temple (1 February, 2003).



Lanterns at Kek Lok Si (1 February, 2003).



Corridor of Kek Lok Si strung with new year lanterns (1 February, 2003).



The Ordination Hall at Kek Lok Si (28 January, 2006).



View of the Ban Po That, Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas (28 January, 2006).



Traditional roof architecture at Kek Lok Si.(28 January, 2006)



Kek Lok Si Prayer Hall (28 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo



Within one of the many shrines at Kek Lok Si.(1 February, 2003)



Statue of the Avalokitesvara, or better known as Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, completed in 2002.(1 February, 2003)



The Hall of Buddhas.(1 February, 2003)



Buddha statues lit up as evening falls.(1 February, 2003)



Kek Lok Si's Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas lit up for the night.(1 February, 2003)



Another view of the Kek Lok Si pagodas.(1 February, 2003)



Evening shot of Kek Lok Si, as seen from the Ayer Itam hill terraces. (19 February, 2005)



The Kek Lok Si lights up as night falls.(19 February, 2005)



Kek Lok Si, as seen from Penang Hill (29 July, 2007)

Click for list of Chinese Temples in Penang