Category Archives: Temples

Wat Pho (Bangkok, Thailand)

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Our next stop was the 80,000 s.m. Wat Pho (officially called Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn), the largest and, technically,  the oldest wat in Bangkok. Thailand’s first university, it is the birthplace of traditional Thai massage (stone walls have plaques inscribed with medical texts on Thai massage, dating from the reign of King Rama III).

Wat Pho

The complex consists of 2 walled compounds bisected by Soi (Thai for “street”) Chetuphon which runs east to west. The southern walled compound, the Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery, with monks in residence and a school.

Phra Uposatha (Main Chapel))

The northern walled compound, the one opened to us tourists, includes the largePhra Uposatha, a bot (temple hall or main chapel) enclosed by 394 bronze Buddha images. Outside are 152 marble slabs depicting the second half of the epic Ramakian story.

The 4 Chedis of Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn

Also near here are 4 chedis of Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn, constructed to honor the first 3 Chakri kings (2 for King Rama III).  Around the grounds are another 91 massive chedis, of varying sizes, along with chapels, rock gardens, an array of different types of statues, inscriptions, bell towers and resident fortune tellers. Nearby is a library, impressively decorated with figures, and pagodas made of porcelain.

Vihara of the Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho is known, however, for its Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas), one of more than 1,000 Buddha images(the most in the country, mostly gathered from the ruins of the former capitals Ayuthaya and Sukhothai) in the temple.

Reclining Buddha

Housed in the Vihara of the Reclining Buddha, this highly impressive, gold-plated Buddha, the world’s longest, is really huge, measuring 46 m. long, 15 m. high and is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The soles of the feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration.  The feet also show the 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles, all characteristics of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho: Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand.

Wat Traimit (Bangkok, Thailand)

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On our second day in Thailand, we were scheduled to go on our half-day Bangkok city tour and, after that proceed to the resort city of Pattaya in the afternoon. After our breakfast at the Rajah Hotel, we  were picked up at the hotel lobby by our lady guide from Goodwind Tours and boarded an airconditioned van. Our itinerary included 2 Guinness Book of World Records-worthy temples and a visit to a jewelry store.

Wat Traimit

The first item in our city tour itinerary was the relatively plain looking Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha) in the Yaowarat (Chinatown) area.  However unremarkable the temple may look outside, inside it houses a most valued treasure of Thailand and of Buddhism, the 5.5-ton Golden Buddha, the largest solid gold Buddha image in the world. The statue measures 3.98 m. (about 10 ft.) high, 12 ft. 9 in. in diameter and 3.13 m wide from knee to knee.

The Golden Buddha

The Buddha was originally placed in an Ayutthaya temple and was camouflage from Burmese invaders by being given a thick plaster coating.  Subsequently “lost,” the encased statue was later moved to Choti-naram Temple (or Wat Phrayakrai) in Bangkok during the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851).  When the temple was deserted about 1931, the plaster-covered Buddha was moved to Wat Traimit in the mid-1950’s.  As it was being moved to its permanent building, the rain-soaked figure was accidentally dropped, cracking the stucco to reveal the figure inside.

On February 14, 2010,the Golden Buddha was transferred to the third level of an impressive chapel and is now perched high atop a 4-storey, marble-clad ziggurat.

Admiring the Golden Buddha

The Golden Buddha (officially titled Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon), built in parts of India and assembled at the site during the 13th century Sukhothai Period, is represented in the traditional pose of bhumisparshamudra (touching the earth with the right hand to witness Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment at Bodh Gaya). At the temple, local worshipers also rub gold leaf on the other Buddha images.

Wat Traimit: Traimit Rd., Samphanthawong District, Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand.  Open daily, 9 AM-5 PM.

City Tour – Sri Mariammam Temple (Singapore)

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Sri Mariammam Temple – Gopuram

Also within Chinatown is the Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. Originally built in 1827 in wood and attap, a major part of the present structure is believed to have been built in 1862-1863.  Built in the Dravidian style, this temple mainly serves  the South Indian Tamil community. On July 6, 1973, due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple was gazetted as a National Monument.

Sri Mariammam Temple – Ceiling

The impressive 6-iered gopuram (entrance tower), the most outstanding feature of the temple, was built in 1925 and tapers up towards to a moulded ornamental ridge.  It was repaired, restored and richly embellished with an elaborate proliferation of sculptures of Hindu deities, other figures and ornamental decorations, in the 1960s.

Sri Mariammam Temple – Ceiling

The scale of each tier  of the gopuram and its sculptures, slightly smaller than that of the tier immediately below it, helps to create the illusion of height and adds to the symbolic importance of the building. On the right of the gopuram, as we entered the temple, is a sculpture of Murugan  while on the left is one of Krishna, all made with plaster (allowing for fine detailing) and are painted in a variety of bright colors (adding to the visually spectacular quality).

Sri Mariammam Temple: 244 South Bridge Rd., Chinatown, Singapore.

City Tour – Thian Hock Keng Temple (Singapore)

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Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Entrance

From Merlion Park, we next moved on to the Chinatown area were we visited the Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness), one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temples in Singapore.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

Built in traditional southern Chinese architectural style from 1839-1842 by Mr Tan Tock Seng and Mr Si Hoo Keh, it was visited by Chinese immigrants giving thanks to Ma Chu P’oh or Ma Zu (the Chinese Goddess of the Sea) for their safe voyage.  The temple replaced a humble joss house established here in 1821 by Hokkien immigrants from Amoy (China).  In 1973, it was gazetted as a National Monument.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

This architectural masterpiece of stone, tiles and wood, assembled without nails, is embellished with dragons and phoenixes, amazing carvings, intricate sculptures and imposing columns.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

Granite tablets on the wall inside the Entrance Hall record the details of the temple’s history.  There is also a plaque, presented by Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu in 1907, inscribed with the words Bo Jing Nan Ming (Gentle Waves over the South Seas), evidence of the temple’s stature.

Thian Hock Kieng Temple: Telok Ayer St., Singapore.

Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

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Upon reaching the Malaysian side, I cleared my entry to Johor Bahru at the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office. Once past, I found myself along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.  Here, a fenced historical marker with a plaque tells the story of the town.

Johor Bahru Historical Marker

Johor Bahru has a rich history that dates as early as the 16th century but its urbanization began in 1855. Sultan Abu Bakar (1862-1895), the 21st Sultan of Johor, transformed Johor Bahru from a fishing village into a thriving city.

Johor Bahru

Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and the adjoining  Jalan Trus has a number of shophouses, mostly built in the 1920’s,with great heritage value. Here, traders from Arab, India and China used to come to trade spices and tobacco. Also along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak is the Johor Bahru Railway Station.

On October 10, 2010, the spanking new JB Sentral railway station, along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Jim Quee, was opened. The old train station, located just 200 m. south of JB Sentral, has been decommissioned, its platform 2 and its tracks dismantled.  Only one track and platform remain.  There are plans for it to be preserved for a future Mini Railway Museum for the Southern Region.

Johor Bahru Railway Station

The relatively old Plaza Kotaraya shopping center, along Jalan Trus, is only 5 minutes walk from the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office.  Across the street is the Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple.  Built in 1922, it is one of the town’s oldest Hindu temples and has an impressive gopuram (entrance tower).

The Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple was rebuilt and was officially reopened in 1996. In 2009, the temple was embellished with an impressive mosaic of 300,000 pieces of red, blue, yellow, green, purple and white glass (completed in October 2009) and, on May 12, 2010, the temple was listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the nation.

Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple and Plaza Kotaraya Shopping Center

After this relatively short walking tour of Johor Bahru, I retraced my steps back to the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office to clear my departure and, this time, took a bus back to the Queen Street Bus Terminal in Singapore.

Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple: 22 Lorong 1, Jalan Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Repulse Bay and Tin Hau Temple (Hong Kong)

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Traveling along the main road between Aberdeen and Stanley, we could hardly believed that we were in a highly urbanized city such as Hong Kong as, along the way, we espied the resort-like setting of the wide, crescent-shaped beach of peaceful Repulse Bay at the southern part of Hong Kong Island.  The bay, once a haven for pirates intent on plundering foreign merchant ships trading with China, was so named after the British fleet repulsed the pirates in 1841.

Repulse Bay

Repulse Bay

Here, at the eastern end of the beach, we made a stopover at Tin Hau Temple, one of the oldest in Hong Kong and one of over 70 Tin Hau Temples throughout the colony.

Posing at the base of the statue of Tin Hau

Posing at the base of the statue of Tin Hau

This brightly-colored Taoist shrine has a pavilion, a small pier area and  two huge, more than 10 m. high statues – one for Tin Hau (the Goddess of the Sea) and the other for Kwun Yam (Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy).  Both goddesses hold a prominent place in traditional Chinese legends.

Posing in front of the statue of Kwan Yam

Posing in front of the statue of Kwun Yam

It also has a Chinese-style garden, leading down to the beach, and the Longevity Bridge, a little bridge with an inscription that says “Each time you cross this bridge, your life will be prolonged 3 days – Lau Hon-Wah.”

Posing in front of the Kwun Yam Shrine and Longevity Bridge

Posing in front of the Kwun Yam Shrine and Longevity Bridge

Great Taoist Temple (Cebu City, Cebu)

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After breakfast at the hotel, Grace and I were picked up at the hotel lobby for the start of our city tour.  We proceeded, via van, to Beverly Hills, a wealthy residential subdivision located 6 kms. from downtown.  Situated 300 m. above sea level, it has a panoramic view of the city, the harbor and Mactan Island.  Above it is Victoria Peak, named after the hill in Hongkong.  Beverly Hills has a number of Chinese temples.

The Great Taoist Temple

We made a stopover at the Great Taoist Temple which is open to worshippers and non-worshippers alike.  Accessible by 3 separate winding routes, the entrance of the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China.  The smell of incense was everywhere but the temple was really quiet and peaceful.  From its spacious balconies, we had a panoramic view of Cebu City, Mactan Island and Bohol.  Taking pictures of the gods inside the temple was strictly prohibited.

The temple’s spacious balcony

Built in 1972 by Cebu’s substantial Chinese community (about 15% of the population), this huge multi-level complex of bright red and green pagodas, guardian lions and dragons, follows the slope of the terrain.  It was built in a highly ornate style of Chinese architecture and is topped with a pagoda-style roof.

This well-maintained temple preserves the teachings of the 600 B.C. philosopher, Lao-tze.  Taoists climb the 81 steps (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures) to the temple for the beautiful ceremonies, light joss sticks and have their fortunes read by the monks.  The temple also has a big dragon statue, a fish pond, an old bell, a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well.

Great Taoist Temple: Beverly Hills Subd., Lahug District, Cebu City, Cebu.  Open daily, 8 AM-5 PM. Admission is free.