On the morning of the 2nd day of Chinese New Year, we decided to pay a visit to Thean Hou Temple to join in the festivity of the new year celebration. Dedicated to the Goddess Thean Hou (the Heavenly Mother), this six-tiered Chinese Buddhist Temple is one of the largest temples in South East Asia. Located on Robson Hill (off Jalan Syed Putra), not only is this temple a place of worship for Buddhists, it is also a popular venue for cultural activities and marriage registration.
During Chinese New Year, endless rows of red lanterns decorate the temple. Throughout the entire 15-day Chinese New Year celebration, Thean Hou temple hosts a variety of events including lion dance, singing concerts and other cultural events, creating a festive atmosphere that attracts hundreds of people. The grandeur of this building’s architecture of a blend of modern elements with traditional design has also contributed in establishing this temple as a tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur.
lanterns galore
view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline beyond the temple
4 miniature statues stand on the roof edge
devotees offering prayers
tourists observe and follow the religious tradition
lining up to wish for good fortune and blessing for the new year ahead
reading fortune
gold bullion wishing candles
lotus wishing candles
pouring holy water over Maitreya Buddha (also known as the Laughing Buddha)
the lion dance troupe with the drum, gong…
…& cymbals
crowding around the lion to give angpow in return for mandarin orange from the lion, for good luck
For those keen on lion dance performances, there is a lion dance everday until 21st Feb (Sun) at 2pm daily. On the following weekend there is also lion dance at 2pm on 26th Feb (Fri) and 10.30am, 2pm on 27th Feb (Sat). There is a variety of night performances in the hall every evening so you may choose to experience the temple at night when the lanterns and the surrounding compound of the temple are very beautifully lit up.
last but not least… may you have a Happy Roaring Year of the Tiger!
Wow, those lanterns are splendid! In Taiwan, we touch the tummy of Laughing Buddha to receive good fortune instead of pouring the hole water over it. That is a very unique local custom!
Great shots … love the shot of the gold bullion candles. (For us … so near, yet so lazeeee).
Very nice shots. I plan to go there to have some shootings as well, but…..no time
Beautiful pictures! I can see RED
I wonder….Why they construct a large dragon lantern instead of a tiger. Last year, they built a big pagoda lantern.
micki: i’ve heard before also that touching the tummy of the Laughing Buddha brings luck! I think this particular Laughing Buddha statue in this temple is smaller and is set up over water; thus recommending us to follow this particular ritual of scooping the water over the buddha.
Ian: maybe you can try to take the kids on one of the nights…. it’s very pretty at night and not so hot. and they’ve got tonnes of deco all around of animals, statues and tigers lit up.
uLi: you can still go this week or weekend… it’ll be decorated until chap goh meh still.
mylo: haha, perhaps the Chinese New Year dragon has always been symbolic. There is a stage with tigers set up too – looks better at night though when it’s lit up. There’s one tiger on a high pole rotating around.
Happy CNY! Wow…a sea of red lanterns!
Beautiful shots that captured the spirits of CNY! I like your posts and will certainly drop by often.
I did try to go to Thean Hou Temple on the 1st day of CNY but the queue of cars up the hill was, like, impossible! So I went to this much quieter temple not too far away, Chan See Shu Yuan, and took some shots with an entirely different atmosphere
Nice photos! You have a good eye for the interplay of lines and pattern. The photos of the lanterns are stunning!
I always wanted to visit a temple during this celebration. well, maybe next year I will.
the lanterns are beautiful, i almost drooled while browsing through thihs set… GOOD JOB!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
mei teng: gong xi fa cai to u too!
horsoon: i actually passed by on the first day and saw the queue of cars going up.. if u go at night after 9pm or so, or earlier in the morning like i did 10am-ish there wasn’t a queue. hey great that u explored Chan See Shu Yuan instead… more authentic and less touristy right and can imagine when u say it’s a totally different atmosphere.. will u be posting some shots up? looking forward to them!
aloysious: thanks a bunch! the deco was fabulous.
ron: r the temples in phillipines all decorated up too? thanks for the compliment!
Very, very nice pictures, lechua!!! I enjoyed to see and to read your new years post – and belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. Be happy in 2010!
Susanne
Thean Hou Temple lanterns are equally beautiful in daytime!
I like the the contrast between the blue sky and the red lanterns.
The second photo is amazing! Those shadows are like polka dots!
Re: Pancake Day / 煎饼节 / Hari Penkek / パンケーキデー
Yes, they still do that pancake race here! It’s kinda funny!
Re: Irises & Apples / 鸢尾和苹果 / Iris & Epal / 菖蒲と林檎
It’s taken at Royal Festival Hall. In the square behind the hall.
Susanne: thanks for the wishes… it’s a 15-day celebration so it’s still the start of the chinese calendar. a happy 2010 to u too!
LondonCaller: yea the whole floor is covered with the polka dot shadows!
Great pictures.Very evocative of CNY. I’ve always felt that CNY in Malaysia is more interesting and enjoyable than in Singapore.
Two things really stand out in any Chinese New Year celebrations I’ve seen – including your photos: the lanterns and the dragons. What I didn’t know is that it’s celebrated that long for 15 days! With all that color and revelry, I wouldn’t mind.
Great capture! What time did you pop by there? I went there this afternoon like 1pm and it was really really crowded with devotees and prayers! Your photos are all stunning with perfect composition! I’ve learned something of them…
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR OF TIGER!
chinese new year celebration is really colorful and rich in tradition. we (along with some bloggers) visited some temples in binondo. the big golden buddhas are awesome. nahiya nga ako magpicture dahil their giving their praises ar kami ay nagto-tour sa loob. but some are really nice. they even explained to us the design of their murals.
nice shots, galing! Ü
btw, being buried in a hanging coffin is an old igorot’s tradition. the process (acdg to our guide) sinisiksik yung katawan sa punong kahoy then everyone in town should attend the burial. ang hirap ng trek so just imagine kuung gano mas kahirap na dala pa yung kahoy na yun with the body. ayun, they believe mas mataas ang location, mas malapit sa langit. Ü
roger: really.. i thought singapore would be quite lively too with CNY…
Nomadic Pinoy: well yes… it’s 15 days but we only have 2 days of public holiday here unlike in china. however the open houses, visiting and all goes on for the entire period
Cecil: i dropped by at 10 sumthing… there was a morning lion dance at 10.30am… on the way back about 12pm i saw the queue of cars trying to get up the hill… so the no-jam time would be in the morning or later at night 9pm-ish
chyng: so there is quite a celebration in phillipines too!… sorry didn’t quite get the hanging coffin u were referring to in the post (i can’t understand some of the fillipino phrases u’ve written)… the site u visited is just a place with empty coffins?
hi again,
sorry I thought you’re a Filipino too (with a chinese surname). Ü
ganda ng blog mo means “your blog is beautiful” that’s why im flattered that you like some of my shots.
Hanging coffins in Sagada is really a burial place for Igorots. The dead will be placed in a small log of tree and then the whole town will walk thru that dangerous and risky trail just to bury their loved one. In case you might ask, they dont use any chemical for the dead’s body. Amazingly, the place doesn’t smell like rotten species. Ü
nice set of photos here!
The atmosphere seems really good from the pictures you took. Very red all over.
There will be a parade tonight but I don’t think I will be taking pictures ‘cos it will guarantee to be too crowded.
Happy New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi!!
Your festival pictures are really awesome!
Nice day and sharp colors! Can feel it!
Lots of people on this day…
chyng: interesting.. and can’t believe there are still bodies in there…
henry, rafael: thanks for the compliment!
ai shiang: yea the queue can be pretty bad…
khengsiong: when did u visit? this one i took on 2nd day CNY morning.
Thanks for the extra info. I missed out the stage and pole tigers
Cheers!
mylo
Hi! Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving comments! Happy Chinese New Year to you!!!
I have yet to go to Thean Hou Temple. Hope I can visit it one of these days! Lovely photos! : )
mylo: yea it didn’t look that great in the day though… only when it’s lit up at night does it stand out.
foongpc: thanks for visiting!!