Ayer Itam
Chinese Temple in Penang

This is what P.A Anthony, General Manager of Federated Malay States Railways had to say about the Chinese Temple at Ayer Itam (Kek Lok Si temple) in his 1914 information pamphlet:

The Chinese temple at Ayer Itam is four miles away. It can be reached by electric tram (half-an-hour) from Swettenham Pier, and this route is more picturesque than the carriage road.

The temple is approached through an unprepossessing collection of squalid huts, and the granite stairway alone leads the traveller to suppose that to follow its massive steps must reveal something worth seeing. Surmounting them one reaches a wall, and, passing through its gates, realises at once that here is not a temple, but a series of many temples, built in terraces up the hill.

On the lowest tier is the pool where lie, inactive until you buy for them a bunch of green kangkong herb, dozens of amiable tortoises, type of that sturdy creature who bears the world on his back. On the tier above is the gold-fish pond surrounded by marigold, rose, gaillardia and chrysanthemum in pots. Looking up the hill one sees, stretching up and up continually, the ramping roofs, the raking gables of Chinese temple architecture. On the walls are lettered tablets in royal blue. The boulders of the hill are incised with Chinese characters in red. On every hand are shrines. Brass blazes in sunlight, or warms the shadows, in urns and jars and gongs and vessels of all shapes. Temple surpasses temple.

In one a solemn figure broods and compels reverence. In another laughs a jolly god, and you in turn smile at his jovial countenance. Side by side sit hideous and gigantic demons, crushing the wicked under foot. Everwhere is Buddha - Buddha brass, Buddha alabaster, Buddha gold leaf, but always Buddha mysteriously at peace. From the very top of tops you look down again across the flamboyant roofs and see Penang laid beneath you, a sea of waving palm tops.

At length, having wandered where you will, you are invited to drink a cup of complimentary tea, and the visitors' book is laid before you, full of famous names. On the walls of the tea-room hang the signatures of the Duke of Connaught, Admiral Togo and (King) Chulalonkorn* of Siam. It is explained to you how each race of Buddhists has here its own temple, Siamese, Japanese, Chinese, Burmese or Sinhalese.

After contributing to the fund - for this temple is sadly in need, with its extravagant passion for building - you descend again through the tiers of temples, and so back to Penang. Choose a different route for the return, for all Penang's roads are beautiful.

It is interesting to note that in 1914 the temple was 'sadly in need' of funds to finance the expansion of the temple. Now, nearly 100 years later, the temple continues to raise funds for new building construction but these days it looks very prosperous indeed.

Since the pamphlet was written the temple has added the famous Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas which was completed in 1930. Much more recently, a giant Guan Yin statue was erected in the temple grounds, greatly adding to the tourism potential of this attraction. 

You can read more about this beautiful temple in my Malaysia Traveller website.

* The pamphlet mentions that King Chulalonkorn of Siam had visited the temple. King Chulalonkorn's father, King Mongkut was the one who employed Anna Leonowens (of 'Anna and the King' & 'The King and I' fame) to teach his wives and children, including Chulalonkorn. Anna's husband, Thomas died before she took up that position. He is buried in the Protestant cemetery in Penang.


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