TRAVEL

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, thousands of devotees throng the many temples around the country to pray for good health, wealth and longevity. But worshipping the deities aside, Chinese temples, with their ornate architecture and air of mysticism, make interesting places to do a spot of sight-seeing, writes ELIZABETH LEONG

WITH Chinese New Year just days away, most Chinese folks are making plans to visit a temple to usher in the Year of the Tiger. For some, the decision is easy. They will head for their neighbourhood temple or one that they have been frequenting in the past.

They will be praying for “longevity, prosperity and fortune” amidst white, spiralling smoke from joss sticks and smouldering fragrant incense.

But even if you’re a non-worshipper, the festive season is as good a time as any to do a little sightseeing at the temples as most of these places of worship will be decked with colourful lanterns, flowers and red banners with auspicious couplets.

Visitors can also observe the architecture of Chinese temples but first, a primer on its basics for better appreciation. For a start, symbolism plays an important role in the temples.

Red dominates as the choice of colour as it suggests prosperity and joy. The presence of dragons, phoenixes, tortoises and lions is also significant as such animals represent strength, justice and power.

Frequently, the swastika is prominently displayed, as the Chinese word for swastika is homonymous with “ten thousand”. In Buddhism, the symbol signifies auspiciousness and good fortune. (After World War II, the left-facing swastika was used in many newer temples as distinct from the right-facing swastika that branded Nazism.)

In terms of layout, a temple is always rectangular, and faces south in accordance with feng shui principles. A wall usually surrounds the structure, and the gates are guarded by statues of warrior deities or mythical animals to fend off evil spirits. In the courtyard stands a pagoda-like structure that serves as a furnace for the burning of paper offerings. Bigger temples have more than one courtyard.

There are variations in architectural elements between Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew and Hakka temples. A saddle-shaped roof is usually Hokkien, while a straight horizontal roof is typically Cantonese. The Hakka roof is similar to the Hokkien but has less adornment. The Teochew roof is less steep as compared to the Hokkien counterpart. Cantonese temples frequently favour square pillars instead of round. However, these elements have been diluted in newer temples due to cost of materials and construction.

Certain features are common to all Chinese temples. The chief deity is always installed in the main hall. Lesser deities are placed in the side halls. The main altar is often intricately carved and decorated with gold gilded characters. Interior decoration consists of wall paintings, wood carvings, carved stone pillars and ceramics.

Now, let’s go on a tour of some Chinese temples in the Klang Valley.

Fu Guang Shan Dong Zen Buddhist Centre

My top recommendation is the Fu Guang Shan Dong Zen Buddhist Centre in Jenjarom, 40kms from Kuala Lumpur that has its roots in Taiwan.

The temple consists of a main building with a shrine containing a relic of Lord Buddha.

Socks have to be worn to enter this area. For visitors, the main attraction lies in the landscaped garden with rows of Bodhisattva statues, neatly trimmed bushes, exotic bonsai, a well-stocked koi pond and gurgling fountains.

Every Chinese New Year, the temple is decorated with a different theme, but without doubt, you can expect to be drowned in a sea of dazzling lanterns with kaleidoscopic colours.

The temple is located on Jalan Sungai Buaya but for outstation visitors, it’s easier to ask the locals for the direction to the police station which is situated near the temple.

In recent years, Fu Guang Shan in this sleepy hollow has even upstaged the more well-known Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur in terms of visitor arrivals.

Thean Hou Temple

Next on my list is Thean Hou Temple, perched on Robson Hill and overlooking Jalan Syed Putra. Making up for the lack of floral and water attractions in its grounds, Thean Hou offers visitors stunning views of Kuala Lumpur’s skyscrapers.

After ascending the slope to the temple grounds, you will see the 12 animal statues of Chinese astrology and the Goddess Guan Yin as well as colourful dragons and other mythical animals sitting on the eaves of roofs.

Facilities are aplenty such as stores selling religious paraphernalia and Chinese macramè, a vegetarian canteen and a marriage registration office.

Climb up to the main shrine on the second floor via a side staircase to reach the main prayer hall housing Thean Hou or Goddess of the Sea.

To find out what the new year has in store for them, devotees use the kau chim (fortune-telling) sticks in the middle of the hall. At the back of the temple, tortoises fight for personal space in a small pond.

A side garden displays a small statue of Goddess Guan Yin holding a vase. Kneel on a platform and a mechanism triggers water to flow from the vase.

Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery

A Buddhist temple tucked in Kuala Lumpur city centre is the Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery in Jalan Ampang.

The vegetarian restaurant here is worth a trip to the temple as it has received good reviews in food blogs. The plaster glass ceiling jazzed up with symmetrical floral motifs, calm spaces, purple-coloured lotus pond, potted bonsai and giant gilded statues that conjure a serene contemplative mood ideal for meditation. The shrine is dedicated to Guan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion.

As there is limited parking space in the temple area, visitors may park at the Corus Hotel across the road and walk over via an overhead pedestrian bridge.

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Worshippers seeking history and legends will appreciate the ambience and setting of Sin Sze Si Ya Temple at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur.

An unassuming structure tucked between old shophouses, it was founded by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy in 1864 to honour Kapitan Shin Kap of Sungai Ujung (now Seremban). According to popular belief, when Kapitan Ship Yap was killed in a battle in 1859, white blood gushed out from him. Later, he appeared in Yap Ah Loy’s dream, advising him to seek his fortune in Kuala Lumpur.

Thereafter, when Yap Ah Loy was embroiled in the Kuala Lumpur Civil War (1870-1873), Shin Yap again gave him invaluable advice by appearing in his dreams several times. When he emerged victorious in the war, Yap Ah Loy also installed an effigy of his general, Chong Piang, in the prayer hall. A statue of Yap Ah Loy was also erected in the temple when he died in 1844 at the age of 44.

Every year, remembrance ceremonies for Shin Kap, Chong Piang and Yap Ah Loy are held on the 15th day of the third lunar month.

The temple is built at an odd angle in a narrow alley but its position was decided after consultation with a Taoist deity through a medium, and was considered auspicious.

Chan She Shu Yuen Association Building

Though not a temple, Chan She Shu Yuen Association is an institution in KL’s Jalan Petaling and attracts the older generations and tourists. Built in 1897, it showcases hundreds of clay terracotta figurines on its wall-ledges and eaves of its roofs.

The gable walls at the end of the main hall roof and the ends of the side halls symbolise the separation of the spiritual and mortal world. They are built in a wavy pattern.

Two ferocious-looking stone lions are stationed at the entrance. A corner inside the temple retails clay teapots plus an interesting selection of Chinese tea such as oolong, white, green, black, scented and others.

The association’s building is only five minutes’ walk from the Jalan Maharajalela KLM monorail station.

Guan Yin Temple

Take a short walk from the Chan She Shu Yuen Association building and climb up a stairway up a hillock to reach the Guan Yin Temple, facing the monorail station.

Small and compact, the temple is simple but has an air of mysticism with its garish colours and weeping willows.

Kwan Ti Temple

In the same league as the Chan She Shu Yuen Association is the Kwan Ti Temple housed in the premises of the Kwong Siew Association at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee.

Evil spirits are frightened away by two stone lions at the entrance, while a fish atop the arched gateway signifies abundance.

The temple was erected in 1888 to honour the Taoist God of War, Kwan Ti. Of all the temples described here, this is a favourite haunt of beggars during Chinese New Year.