We have a full day in Penang.
We got up early and set off to check out the sunrise at the Jetties ... but were thwarted. Entrance to the jetty we wanted to see is via a temple and the gates were locked when we got there. A local lady told us they open at 10am so that was no good for our purpose. We could see the tide was out so it didn't look very pretty but we enjoyed watching the antics of the crabs and mudskippers. I made a short video but internet is very slow here this evening so I'll wait for a few days to see if our connection will be better when we get to Kuala Lumpur.
We walked back to our hotel for breakfast. Eggs and toast for David and noodles for me (delicious they were too).
After breakfast we set off to visit the largest Buddhist temple in S E Asia which is in Penang around a half hour drive from George Town. We were doing well with the help of our trusty SatNav till we reached a new flyover which didn't figure on the SatNav's radar apparently and confused it. We got there eventually. Its huge.
Kek Lok Si Temple The name means temple of supreme bliss. The original 10-acre site of Kek Lok Si was purchased in 1893 and the temple was completed in 1904 and opened in 1905. It is built in sections on a steep hill. It was expanded further and the enormous Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, constructed in 1927 became an icon of Kek Lok Si Temple, and remains today as one of the most recognisable landmarks of Penang.
We skipped the lower levels which are full of tourist tat shops and hawkers and headed for the car park a little higher up from where I photographed the views shown above. Under the bridge there is a terrapin area and you can feed them (for a fee). We didn't bother but I've noticed at a couple of temples we've visited here there are notices asking the public not to dump terrapins/turtles in the ponds and fountains!
Feeding time
David looking for terrapins .... they've taken cover under the bridge!
In 2002, the 30.2m bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, was completed and stands on a hillside above the pagoda. A 20-storey pavilion then had to be built to shelter the statue and this was consecrated on 6 December, 2009
The temperature was in the mid to high 30s and very humid so we opted to take the funicular ride to the next two levels of the temple. The tracks are separate from each other so ticket-holders get ferried between the two by golf buggy type vehicles.
This is the entrance to one of the train 'stations'
and the track
The decorations from Chinese New Year are still up and they're a pain as they get in the way of photographing some of the statues/icons but they are vibrant and make the temple look beautiful
Some random pictures:
The present Kuan Yin statue is the second for Kek Lok Si Temple. The first statue was completed in 1977 but heavy rain and a fire which broke out in 1993 damaged it - all that's left is a bust
Inside the three tier pagoda there is a courtyard surrounded by a cloister of 'standing Buddhas', rows of Buddha images with the right hand pointing down and the left hand bent at the elbow. I didn't count them but there were lots of them!
Spot the imposter!
There was a lovely garden with statues of Chinese Zodiac animals but I won't post too many more pictures now as I'm sure you're getting bored (and the signal isn't strong from our room).
We skipped some of the 'mini' temples within the complex as it was so hot and we got fed up with taking shoes off every time but we were pleased to have seen the major parts of this beautiful and well kept complex.
The down side for us was the number of 'tat' stalls/shops everywhere and the vendors were quite pushy which doesn't really fit well with the nature of the place.
We'd originally planned to travel up nearby Penang Hill after visiting the temple. There is a funicular Railway to the Hill Station (which was established by the British in the late 1700s) The views are said to be very good but there was a heat haze over the hill as we left the temple - and we were very hot/tired so we headed back to George Town for a quick beer and lunch before setting off for another session of sightseeing ... but that's another story...
We got up early and set off to check out the sunrise at the Jetties ... but were thwarted. Entrance to the jetty we wanted to see is via a temple and the gates were locked when we got there. A local lady told us they open at 10am so that was no good for our purpose. We could see the tide was out so it didn't look very pretty but we enjoyed watching the antics of the crabs and mudskippers. I made a short video but internet is very slow here this evening so I'll wait for a few days to see if our connection will be better when we get to Kuala Lumpur.
We walked back to our hotel for breakfast. Eggs and toast for David and noodles for me (delicious they were too).
After breakfast we set off to visit the largest Buddhist temple in S E Asia which is in Penang around a half hour drive from George Town. We were doing well with the help of our trusty SatNav till we reached a new flyover which didn't figure on the SatNav's radar apparently and confused it. We got there eventually. Its huge.
Kek Lok Si Temple The name means temple of supreme bliss. The original 10-acre site of Kek Lok Si was purchased in 1893 and the temple was completed in 1904 and opened in 1905. It is built in sections on a steep hill. It was expanded further and the enormous Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, constructed in 1927 became an icon of Kek Lok Si Temple, and remains today as one of the most recognisable landmarks of Penang.
We skipped the lower levels which are full of tourist tat shops and hawkers and headed for the car park a little higher up from where I photographed the views shown above. Under the bridge there is a terrapin area and you can feed them (for a fee). We didn't bother but I've noticed at a couple of temples we've visited here there are notices asking the public not to dump terrapins/turtles in the ponds and fountains!
Feeding time
David looking for terrapins .... they've taken cover under the bridge!
In 2002, the 30.2m bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, was completed and stands on a hillside above the pagoda. A 20-storey pavilion then had to be built to shelter the statue and this was consecrated on 6 December, 2009
The temperature was in the mid to high 30s and very humid so we opted to take the funicular ride to the next two levels of the temple. The tracks are separate from each other so ticket-holders get ferried between the two by golf buggy type vehicles.
This is the entrance to one of the train 'stations'
and the track
The decorations from Chinese New Year are still up and they're a pain as they get in the way of photographing some of the statues/icons but they are vibrant and make the temple look beautiful
Some random pictures:
The present Kuan Yin statue is the second for Kek Lok Si Temple. The first statue was completed in 1977 but heavy rain and a fire which broke out in 1993 damaged it - all that's left is a bust
Inside the three tier pagoda there is a courtyard surrounded by a cloister of 'standing Buddhas', rows of Buddha images with the right hand pointing down and the left hand bent at the elbow. I didn't count them but there were lots of them!
Spot the imposter!
There was a lovely garden with statues of Chinese Zodiac animals but I won't post too many more pictures now as I'm sure you're getting bored (and the signal isn't strong from our room).
We skipped some of the 'mini' temples within the complex as it was so hot and we got fed up with taking shoes off every time but we were pleased to have seen the major parts of this beautiful and well kept complex.
The down side for us was the number of 'tat' stalls/shops everywhere and the vendors were quite pushy which doesn't really fit well with the nature of the place.
We'd originally planned to travel up nearby Penang Hill after visiting the temple. There is a funicular Railway to the Hill Station (which was established by the British in the late 1700s) The views are said to be very good but there was a heat haze over the hill as we left the temple - and we were very hot/tired so we headed back to George Town for a quick beer and lunch before setting off for another session of sightseeing ... but that's another story...
