Penang - Part 3 (Kek Lok Si Temple 极乐寺)

Located at Air Itam of Penang, Kek Lok Si Temple is known as the largest Buddhist temple in South East Asia. The construction of the temple began in 1893. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Emperor Guangxu of Qing Dynasty, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.

In 1930, the seven storey main pagoda of the temple or the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown; reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.

In 2002, a 30.2-metre (99 ft) bronze statue of the Kuan Yin was completed and opened to public. It replaced the previous white plaster Kuan Yin statue which was damaged due to a fire a few years earlier. The bronze statue is located on the hillside above the pagoda while the head of the previous statue which survived the fire is preserved and placed on the right hand corner of the new statue. The temple is still undergoing expansion, as large donations from the affluent Chinese community have allowed the construction of additional buildings. From 2005 to 2009 an ornate shelter for the Kuan Yin statue was constructed. Sixteen carved dragon pillars were built, carrying the top of three concentric octagonal roof. This construction was inaugurated on 6 December 2009.

Penang - Part 2 (George Town)

I visited Penang the first time in 1989 when I was still in secondary school. After 25 years, I visited this lovely island again for 3D2N. Many things have changed since the first visit. There was only one bridge (opened in Sep 1985, 13.5km) connecting the island and the Malaysia peninsular back then, but there are now two bridges, the 2nd one being 24km long and opened in Jan 2014.

Penang is one of the 13 states in Malaysia. Literally translated, Penang Island or Pulau Pinang means the “Isle of the Betel Nut” in Malay. Rich in history, “Penang” was born when charismatic English captain Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede Pulau Pinang to the British East India Company. In 1786, Light landed on what is known as the scenic Esplanade today. Local folklore tells of how he fired gold coins into the surrounding jungle to induce his men to clear the area. Fourteen years later, the Sultan of Kedah further ceded a strip of land on the mainland across the channel to a very persuasive Light.

The state of Penang then comprised of an island originally named Prince of Wales Island, after George V, and the strip on the mainland which was christened Province Wellesley, after the Governor of India. The former was later named George Town, after King George III.

In 1832, Penang formed part of the Straits Settlement with Malacca and Singapore. The Penang maritime port was among the busiest in the region, attracting rich merchants involved in the lucrative trade of tea, spices, porcelain and cloth. Settlers and fortune-seekers from the all over called Penang home and it was from this interesting mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Siamese (to name a few) cultures that Penang became a melting pot for hybrid communities – the most famous being the Baba Nyonya, Jawi Peranakan and Eurasians.

For more than a century, the major trading post remained under British colonial rule until 1957, when Malaysia gained independence. George Town was accorded city status by Queen Elizabeth II on January 1, 1957, thereby becoming the first town in the Federation of Malay – after Singapore – to become a city.

Although she is Malaysia's electric and electronic manufacturing hub, Penang has successfully retained her old world charm. As recognition of her rich heritage, George Town, together with Malacca, was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.