Kek Lok Si, Buddhist temple in Air Itam, Malaysia
Kek Lok Si stands on a hilltop near Ayer Itam and covers several terraces with prayer halls, ponds, gardens, and a white Guanyin statue overlooking the valley. The seven-story pagoda combines Chinese, Thai, and Burmese building styles within a single tower topped with gilded spires and carved balconies.
A Chinese monk began building the temple on a jungle-covered hill in 1890. Expansion continued for decades, adding halls, the pagoda, and later the large statue completed in 2002.
The temple takes its name from the Buddhist paradise and draws worshippers who light incense and pray before the altars. During the New Year festival, thousands of lanterns illuminate the slopes and transform the hill into a sea of light visible as far as Georgetown.
An elevator runs from the base to the upper terraces where the statue stands, saving the long climb up stairs. Walking through the complex takes about two hours if you explore all levels, and crowds thin out in the early morning or late afternoon.
The Liberation Pond holds hundreds of turtles released by worshippers who bought them to gain spiritual merit. Visitors can buy feed and watch the animals crowd the edges with outstretched necks waiting for food.
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