Kek Lok Si (Buddhist) Temple, Penang

Travel up Penang Hill to see the best temple Penang has to offer. It's huge and there's plenty to see.

Lok Si Temple is constantly undergoing renovation so every time you return, there is always something new to see. The main attraction has to be the giant bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy.

However, do not trek up there during the hottest part of the day. There is a lot of open air walking and the heat will get to you.

For foreigner they dont have much comment on Kek Lok Si; for some people from north peninsular malaysia like ngcss may comment that he doesnt like Kek Lok Si.

I think this is very personal. Kek Lok Si is a 'tourist' place where you can buy 'penang' t-shirt, handicraft, hats and sun glasses along the way up to the temple. Remember to bargain hard.

Entrance to Kek Lok Si is free except the top part. You need to pay RM2 for the top part of the temple.

There are cable car under construction to go to the middle of the hill for the standing 'Kuan Yin'. It was proposed to start service during mid 2005.

This temple is the largest Buddhist temple in SE Asia. It has a 7 story pagoda and a HUGE statue of Kuan Yin, Goddess of mercy to look at. We spent hours there and didnt even realise it. There is a souvenir shop there to buy things. Be aware that some areas require you to remove your shoes before entering.
Visiting hours are 9am to 6pm

This is one of the most beautiful existing Buddhist temples. It is quite large and built over several steps, the view over the mountains is very nice. The mixture of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architecture is fascinating. The temple consists of many prayer halls, pagodas, bell towers and just about every other typical temple structure you can think of. However, two structures dominate the scenery, especially when the temple is seen from afar. One is the seven storey pagoda which dates from the temple's founding. The other is a huge bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin - a popular diety in Penang.

Kek Lok Si is actually walkable from Penang Hill. Its about 20 mins to the foot of Kek Lok Si. The climb up is about another 30 mins.

Leading to the Pagoda are few hundreds or thousands of steps. The steps are quite narrow with stalls along the two side of the staircase selling T-Shirt and touristy items.

On the way down, we did not want to go pass those stalls again. So we followed the vehicle path way and the walk was faster (10 mins).

The latest addition to Kek Lok Si Temple, the bronze statue of Kuan Yin (or Goddess of Mercy).

The best time to view the temple is 1 or 2 days before Chinese New Year, to avoid the crowd. During this time, the temple area will be brightly lit with lanterns & lights.

One of the finest Buddhist temples in South-east Asia. 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

One of the oldest and most stunning temples in Penang, the region even. The 30m Pagoda is made up of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architecture. All the way up to the temple, you have to undergo vigorous training up 193 steps softened by the likes of all manner of local handicrafts and artefacts sold on each side of these steps. Once at the top, you'll reach the turtle pond and gardens before you venture on to go up the Pagoda. Wear comfortable shoes and reserve a day for this!!