Kek Lok Si temple, Air Itam, Penang

Sometimes I enter a building meant for prayers, a shrine dedicated to the Gods, a temple enshrining the spirit of a deity and I feel with all my being that something higher than the average mortal surely had a hand in inspiring the creation of such a place. Kek Lok Si temple also made that impression on me.

The main pagoda and surrounding hills rising up to meet the sky

The climb up to the temple situated in Air Itam (also spelt Ayer Itam) was probably the most strenuous I’ve made all holiday... which is not saying much seeing as most of my time in Penang seems to have been spent on level ground in air conditioned shopping centres. The bargains I made as I browsed the stalls on the way up to the temple were few and far between. This was mostly because of the clever system predetermined by desperate shop keepers – all of the stalls sell the same gimmicky products but the prices gradually get more expensive as you climb the hill and then get even cheaper still when you descend. However, if you’re unfortunate enough to be spotted as desperate to buy a certain item, the price increases threefold and only reduces down to a bare minimum price after you walk 2 metres away from the stall. Price tags of course are just for show. I found myself being ripped off a couple of times but I suppose I can’t really call myself much of a traveller if I haven’t been ripped off in a market place at least a once.

PLASTIC POO!!! Can you believe they sell this crap??? ;P

Typical items sold up the hill

 

Overpriced hill side stalls aside, the temple itself was the main attraction. There was something almost magical about the way the ornate roof tops rose to stand among green jungle and cloud capped mountains. I took pictures of the whole island sprawled beneath the giant bronze Kuan Yin statue  – the reality is that the island is really just a blip on the map but geez it’s beautiful. I could go on forever but I think the pictures speak for themselves.

The view of the temple from the bottom of the hill - spot the white man? That's my grandpa :D

I’ll definitely be coming back here on my next trip to Penang to pay my respects and admire this tiny island off the coast of Malaysia.

Lower forecourt

Ornate rooftops - haven't been cleaned in a while but they're beautiful nonetheless

Too many koi in one pond; they were huge, the pond was small but they still looked majestic

My grandpa and my uncle Hwa at the base of the bronze Kuan Yin statue

Can you spot Chloe? ;P

A rare picture of my grandparents together and happy :)

Inner gardens at the peak; you have to take a cable car to get to the top

Turtle pond at the base of the temple

So many turtles in one pond!

Feeding frenzy! Om nom nom >__<

Construction work still going on after 5 years

You can't really see how big the bronze Kuan Yin statue is but trust me, it's HUGE.

Pagoda

Lower level of the temple