Kwan Yin Temple in Klang, Selangor
Imagine this 130 year old Kwan Yin Temple is just a 5 minutes drive from our rented house in Klang, Selangor. We discovered this temple by chance when we see the intricate gilt carvings roof top of the temple every time we drive over the bridge on the Klang Highway. Little did we know it is so near to us until I Google search for interesting places to visit in Klang.
The Temple is a Heritage Building
The temple is designated as one of the heritage buildings in the Royal Town of Klang in 2003. It is dedicated to the Buddhist/Taoist Goddess of Mercy. The original temple consisted of a simple wooden pavilion that was built in 1892 by Hokkien immigrants from China. They settled in Klang during the tin mining boom. At one time the building was in dire need of repair from termite infestation that it was doomed for demolition. However, the Sultan of Selangor declared it as a heritage site thus fund came pouring in to repair and also build new pavilions to what it is today.
Amazing Work of Art
The first thing that impressed us as we stepped out of the Grab taxi is how grand and clean this Kwan Yin Temple is. We are fortunate to be around at this time of the year when the Chinese are preparing for the Lunar New Year celebration. The festive atmosphere is very exciting as we enter through the big red studded wooden door into the courtyard. Our eyes feasted on the colorful decoration and the amazing pieces of art all over the temple. A Kwan Yin figurine is on a huge altar decorated with flowers on the central pavilion. On both sides of the archways are granite stone carving of dragons and deities figures. I stand in awe just observing everything and everyone around me. I believe this is when I lost Shane.
Dragons Carvings and Reliefs
I forget how much Shane loves dragons carvings and reliefs and the Oriental intricate art designs. He was totally immersed in the beauty of the temple, he didn’t realize I wasn’t following him. LOL I found him later in the garden area admiring a dragon wall relief. In the Chinese culture and mythology, dragons are magical creature that have powers over wind, rain and water. Hence they represent power, strength and good luck. Many Chinese families still think babies born in the year of the dragon will be auspicious and bestow with qualities of a dragon. Photos below show how amazing each piece of art is and how skilled the artisans were.
Temple Worshippers
The temple is open to worshippers and tourists from 6 in the morning until 8 at night. In the central courtyard, huge incense urns are filled with burning joss sticks. An attendant clears the joss sticks as quickly as the worshippers put them into the burner. Personally, I’m not sure what to think about this but I suppose there is a need to clear them for the next worshippers so the urns are not filled up. We weren’t aware about a free guided tour available to visit this temple until after our visit. I like to know more about the history and significant of the temple and carvings so we will definitely revisit by joining the Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk.
How to get there
The 1st and 15th day of the Chinese calendar is the best time to visit Chinese temples because of the prayer rituals aside from the festivals throughout the year.
To get to the Kwan Yin Temple, take a KTM train that goes to Port Klang. Stop at the Klang Station and from there you could either walk or take a Grab taxi.
Click HERE to read more about our activities in Selangor, Malaysia.