Situated strategically on a sprawling hill, Kek Lok Si is knows as the jewel in the crown of heritage temples in Malaysia,
and had been identified as one of the largest and finest temple complexes in South-each Asia.
The scenic view of the hill outside the temple complements the temple’s exquisitely designed rooflines and exotic pillars,
further enhancing the picturesque facade of the Kek Lok Si Buddhist Monastery.
The millions of magnificent images of Buddha and the hundreds of beautiful meaningful carvings,
sculptures and murals in the interior and exterior of the temple halls,
pagodas and archways are heritage treasures of Buddhist civilization.
The temple complex also features many magnificent buildings and interesting sites that have historic value.
The buildings have been constructed along intricate architectural lines;
Some resemble famous Buddhist temples in China,
Whilst others are unique in themselves, reflecting the Kek Lok Si’s own style of creative innovation.
The history of Kek Lok Si can be traced to the late nineteenth century.
It began with the arrival of a priest, Venerable Beow Lean in Penang in 1885,
Who came to Penang with the aim of obtaining donations for the renovation of a monastery in Ku-San, Foochow, China.
Instead, the trustees of the Kuan Yin Teng temple in Pitt Street,
the oldest temple in Penang, decided to appoint him as the new resident priest of the temple.
Venerable Beow Lean accepted the post as he was struck by the deep devotion of the Penang Chinese to Buddhism.
Later, he discovered that a sprawling hill,
in Air Item village, outside of George Town, had the right feng-sui to build a Buddhist monastery.
Naming the hill Kuock-San (Crane Hill) because it resembled a crane spreading its wings, Venerable Beow Lean decided to build a temple,
to be known as “Huock San Kek Lok Jan Si”, which would act as a retreat center for Buddhists.
With the blessing of his superiors and support of some generous contributors,
the Kek Lok Si Temple began to take shape.
The earliest building completed was the Hall of Bodhhisattvas in 1891;
follow by the Hall of Devas in 1895, the Hall of Devawira in 1896, the Tower of Sacred Books in 1899.
In 1904, when the first phase of temple complex was completed,
Venerable Beow Lean returned to China and paid homage to the Ching Emperor, Kuang Xi.
who later presented him with a set of Buddhist sutras,
the emperor’s hand written scripts and several other relics.
The well-known Empress Cixi, of the Ching Dynasty,
also wrote and presented hand-written scripts to the temple.
Until today, all these heritage relics are still kept in the temple;
the royal scripts were converted into plaques.
And the writings were displayed at the Hall of Devawira and the archway of the Pagoda of A Million Buddhas.
Now Venerable Jit Heng was the first Malaysian officially appointed as the head priest of Kek Lok Si over the past two decades.
His contribution is evident in the completion of the Majestic Statue of Kuan Yin,
the Guan Tong Grand Hall and other new developments in Kek Lok Si.
In its more than one hundred years of existence, Kek Lok Si has had may supporters, donors, and contributors.
Kek Lok Si is known not only for the beauty of its historic buildings,
which attract thousands of tourists every year,
but also for being a center for Chinese culture and Buddhist teaching.
The dissemination of Buddhism through organized events
and special occasions had benefited many devotees and followers of the Buddhist way of life.
The journey of insightful discovery expounded in here Digital Memory. Enjoy my photos my dear readers :)
and had been identified as one of the largest and finest temple complexes in South-each Asia.
The scenic view of the hill outside the temple complements the temple’s exquisitely designed rooflines and exotic pillars,
further enhancing the picturesque facade of the Kek Lok Si Buddhist Monastery.
The millions of magnificent images of Buddha and the hundreds of beautiful meaningful carvings,
sculptures and murals in the interior and exterior of the temple halls,
pagodas and archways are heritage treasures of Buddhist civilization.
The temple complex also features many magnificent buildings and interesting sites that have historic value.
The buildings have been constructed along intricate architectural lines;
Some resemble famous Buddhist temples in China,
Whilst others are unique in themselves, reflecting the Kek Lok Si’s own style of creative innovation.
The history of Kek Lok Si can be traced to the late nineteenth century.
It began with the arrival of a priest, Venerable Beow Lean in Penang in 1885,
Who came to Penang with the aim of obtaining donations for the renovation of a monastery in Ku-San, Foochow, China.
Instead, the trustees of the Kuan Yin Teng temple in Pitt Street,
the oldest temple in Penang, decided to appoint him as the new resident priest of the temple.
Venerable Beow Lean accepted the post as he was struck by the deep devotion of the Penang Chinese to Buddhism.
Later, he discovered that a sprawling hill,
in Air Item village, outside of George Town, had the right feng-sui to build a Buddhist monastery.
Naming the hill Kuock-San (Crane Hill) because it resembled a crane spreading its wings, Venerable Beow Lean decided to build a temple,
to be known as “Huock San Kek Lok Jan Si”, which would act as a retreat center for Buddhists.
With the blessing of his superiors and support of some generous contributors,
the Kek Lok Si Temple began to take shape.
The earliest building completed was the Hall of Bodhhisattvas in 1891;
follow by the Hall of Devas in 1895, the Hall of Devawira in 1896, the Tower of Sacred Books in 1899.
In 1904, when the first phase of temple complex was completed,
Venerable Beow Lean returned to China and paid homage to the Ching Emperor, Kuang Xi.
who later presented him with a set of Buddhist sutras,
the emperor’s hand written scripts and several other relics.
The well-known Empress Cixi, of the Ching Dynasty,
also wrote and presented hand-written scripts to the temple.
Until today, all these heritage relics are still kept in the temple;
the royal scripts were converted into plaques.
And the writings were displayed at the Hall of Devawira and the archway of the Pagoda of A Million Buddhas.
Now Venerable Jit Heng was the first Malaysian officially appointed as the head priest of Kek Lok Si over the past two decades.
His contribution is evident in the completion of the Majestic Statue of Kuan Yin,
the Guan Tong Grand Hall and other new developments in Kek Lok Si.
In its more than one hundred years of existence, Kek Lok Si has had may supporters, donors, and contributors.
Kek Lok Si is known not only for the beauty of its historic buildings,
which attract thousands of tourists every year,
but also for being a center for Chinese culture and Buddhist teaching.
The dissemination of Buddhism through organized events
and special occasions had benefited many devotees and followers of the Buddhist way of life.
The journey of insightful discovery expounded in here Digital Memory. Enjoy my photos my dear readers :)
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