Tag: temple

The Ng Kongsi at King Street

The Ng Kongsi is a Cantonese clan association that is located at King Street, George Town. Its building has a unique Chinese architecture that features a jagged or zig-zag shaped roofline. The shape is designed such to display an element of fire, according to local belief.

George Town Street View: A Qilin Sculpture

One of the most common mythical creatures in Chinese lore is the Qilin. Qilin looks like a cross-breed of a dragon and a giraffe although historically, Qilin was said to have originated from the giraffe. According to Chinese beliefs, Qilin is a divine creature that protects against evil and therefore, usually appears as sculptures or paintings in temples as well as in ancient Chinese architecture.

George Town Street View: The Divine Door Guardians


Painted portraits of the Chinese deities known as the Door Guardians (Menshen). The Door Guardians are believed by the Chinese in ancient times to guard against evil spirits from entering ae house or its premise.

Penang Isle: Dhammikarama Burmese Temple’s Buddha Statue

A tall giant statue of the Buddha within the hall of Dhammikarama Burmese Temple.

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple is located just opposite the Wat Chayamangkalaram Buddhist Thai Temple, and is also one of the popular sites to visit in George Town. Various statues of buddha and mythical creatures of the Burmese beliefs can be found in the temple’s garden. The temple was built in 1803 and in 2011, the Golden Pagoda Bell Tower was also completed within the temple grounds.

Penang Isle: Wat Chayamangkalaram Buddhist Thai Temple

Wat Chayamangkalaram (also known as the Sleeping Buddha or Reclining Buddha Temple) is a Thai temple located at the Burma Road area of Pulau Tikus, Penang. It was found to have been built in 1845 on a piece of land granted to the Siamese community in George Town by Queen Victoria, and also houses one of the world’s longest reclining Buddha statues. The temple is one of the main highlights of Penang tourism places, attracting both locals and foreigners.

Today also marks the birth of the Buddha, the Vesak Day.