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.