Kek Lok Si (Buddhist) Temple, Penang

Kek Lok Si temple is a vast complex of many temples that climb up the hillside.
There are one or two entry fee's into some sections but are a minor cost such as two rinjit.
Climb up to the Big tall Pagoda for a great view over Georgetown.Take you camera as there are a million photo's to be taken. Beautiful buildings and loads of culture..
From rock formations with chinese ingravings to hanging pumpkins and bonsai's..There is a giant statue of Kua lin right up the back of the grounds you need to take a small cable car to reach the godess of mercey or you can walk up but in the humity i guess only the strong can do that.Carry water or buy it there on the way back down past the car park you will walk past the turtle pond temple and then there are many market stall along the path they will hassle you to buy but they are probably cheaper than in town..

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The largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia is the Kek Lok Si Temple. You will need your walking shoes for this one.
After you get past all the souvenir stalls you will reach Ban Po Thar, a seven tier tower.
It is said to be Burmese at the top, Chinese at the bottom, and Thai in the middle.
In another three story shrine, there is a large Thai Buddha image that was donated by the king of Thailand.
When we were there it was Chinese New Year and the temple was decorated with red and gold lanterns.

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The whole place is huge. We started from the very top of the temple where a big Buddha sits facing Penang, and took a short cable train down to the other halls.

Surroundings are very peaceful and we even bought a few roof tiles, wrote our names and donated it back to the temple for rebuilding purposes. When completed, we will have our names on the roof of the temple. Cool!

As we walk down, it's easy to get lost, especially towards the turtle ponds where there are a lot of stalls by each side. Not a easy walk down to find our driver who was waiting for us at the bottom of the hill, but well worth the trip up just to see.

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Where does one being to describe this place? It's really a complex: multiple temples, building, statues, buddahs...plus, it's a hike up a hill...but you don't really know that it's such a hike, since it's relatively enclosed, with shops lining the sides.

I don't want to offend anyone with this next comment, but this complex is the Las Vegas on temples....really, there's an unreality about it, there's stuff to buy everywhere, there are ways to part you from your money buy supporting even more building of the temple....all in all, a pretty amazing place....

Once you reach the top, you're treated to great views of Penang below!

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A huge statue of Goddess of Mercy and a 7-storey Pagoda leaves you a deep impression of this temple. Currently the temple is building a shelter for the statue of Goddess of Mercy. The Pagoda is also undergoing some renovation. However is still worth a visit as you can admire the great architecture works.

How to get to this place? -- You can get to this place by catching a cab and telling the driver Kek Lok Si temple UPHILL. Must mention that you are going uphill or you will have to climb a long way uphill before reaching the temple. It would cost you around RM20 (per trip) from Georgetown hotels. The return trip will cost the same.

Bear in mind that there is a tram that goes up a hill to see the statue of Goddess of Mercy and it closes at 5.00 pm. and the temple 5.30pm. You may wish to arrive at 2-3pm, spend a few hours there and walk the stairs downhill where you can see/feed the turtles and browse souvenir shops. If you are interested to buy T-shirts esp. those printed with Penang attractions, the further down you go, the cheaper it gets esp. near closing time around 5-5.30pm. e.g. a T-shirt near the top of the hill can cost RM10 while near the bottom is 4 for RM10 !! Is really a big difference! My guess is that Penang locals like to close a deal just before closing for good luck. :)

After visiting the temple, is best that you catch a cab to Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) as it is just nearby. Bargain with the cab drivers. RM7-8 would be a reasonable price.

Kek Lok Si Temple is a 7 or 8 story high Buddhist temple... There are some amazing buildings around and it's definitely worth spending some time there...you might find you spend too much time there accidentially though...

One of the finest Buddhist temples in South-east Asia, Kek Lok Si Temple stands majestically on a hill in Air Itam, this temple built in tiers culminates the beautifully crafted ''Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas''. It took more than 20 years to build which features gardens, a turtle pond, shrines and beautiful sculptures. There are many souvenir shops leading up to the temple which offers good buys. And as for food lovers,famous hawker food are lined up near the Air Itam market.

For the best Assam Laksa in Penang, stop by the Air Itam market corner and the shop is located outside the market.

The temple is especially beautiful at night during Chinese New Year with colourful lanterns which add to the air of festivities.

Admission is free.

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The Kek Lok Si temple sits majestically on a hill about 10km west of Georgetown. Follow the spiral stairway through the "Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas" all the way to the top, where you'll be rewarded by an excellent view of the surrounding area. The temple complex also features a koi gazebo, turtle pond, gardens, ancient sculptures and several shines.

Just above the Kek Lok Si temple is an imposing statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. This massive bronze effigy rises to a height of about 100 ft/30 m, and was just recently opened to the public in 2002. It's accessible by either a 1 km walk/hike, or by inclined lift for RM 4 ($1) round-trip.

Bottom-line: This temple complex has remarkable architecture and impressively intricate interior design; a MUST SEE for any trip to Penang.