Most of the people visits Penang for gluttonous appetite towards the delightful nourishment available on this small little island. However, when it comes to Chinese New Year, on top of food, fighting the traffic all the way along constraint and narrow Air Itam’s road is a must to many towards the pride of Air Itam, Kek Lok Si Temple.
In normal circumstances, I’ll never go near places with such terrible traffic condition but for the close view of this, I did mine on the 5th day of CNY after a supper yamcha session was call off. Of course, I didn’t follow the usual main stream most people would use. I took a de tour around the housing area and parked my car slightly more than half a kilometer away from the foot of the temple. Walking, the best way to avoid wasting time in the car stuck in the traffic jam queue.
How can you resist such a beauty?
you can actually park your car further and walk all the way up there but still these lazy people willing to jam all the way up there.
bumper to bumper, slow moving traffic
Kek Lok Si is one of the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia and it is the only reproduction miniature in Window of the world located at Shenzhen representing Malaysia. Maybe KLCC still not erected by then.
Kek Lok Si’s ‘Old wingz’ Pagoda
Not many really went for prayers
Pineapples with lights
Everything is surrounded by lighting including Buddha
No matter where you are, the only thing you will not miss is lanterns. They are all over the place replacing the normal fluorescent light.
Sea of lanterns this is call ya?
Passage de Lanterns ;p
The highlight of the temple for this year is no longer on its lighting and pagoda but the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) under the Pavilion supported by 16 skilfully crafted giant pillars. This is the 1st year it is fully light up. The whole structure doesn’t look big right? The pavilion rised 82.7 meters from base to tip which is approximately equivalent to 20-storeys building. The Guan Yin on the other hand holds the height of 30.2 meters downsized from initial plan of 120 meters. 30.2 doesn’t sound impressive right? Well, Statue of Liberty marks only 34 meters from heel to top of head and 5 more meters for the hand. Now, comparing both, the Goddess of Mercy no longer really that small right? However, there is one Guan Yin standing mercifully with the height of 108 meters on the sea at Hainan Island, China making her the 4th tallest statue in the world. That’s what you call stupefying.
Brilliantly magnificent
View at Air Itam’s town from the temple
More Pictures here on Facebook
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SUPERB!
February 25, 2010 at 4:01 pm