Snake Temple, Taoist temple in Bayan Lepas, Malaysia

The Snake Temple, also called the Temple of the Azure Clouds, is a Chinese temple in Bayan Lepas, Penang, dedicated to the deified Buddhist monk Master Qingshui (Chor Soo Kong). Its halls and courtyards are home to resident Wagler's pit vipers, and the complex also holds two brick Dragon Eye Wells and two large brass bells cast in 1886.

The temple was founded in 1805 to honor a respected Buddhist monk, with the land donated by a local landowner. Over the following generations, it grew into a known pilgrimage site for both Taoist and Buddhist followers.

The temple is dedicated to Chor Soo Kong, also called Master Qingshui, a Song-dynasty monk revered for healing the sick and sheltering snakes. Devotees from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China pray here on his birthday, the sixth day of the first lunar month. Celebrations are held three times a year, on the sixth day of the first, sixth and eleventh lunar months, with the largest following Chinese New Year, when a fire-watching ritual foretells the coming year.

The temple is open daily with free entry, making it easy to visit at your own pace. Wear comfortable shoes and watch your step on wet surfaces, especially during or after rain.

The temple's resident Wagler's pit vipers have been de-venomed but keep their fangs, and signs warn visitors not to drape the reptiles on themselves for photographs. The two brick wells inside are called the Dragon Eye Wells, and the brass bells were cast in 1886. A snake breeding centre was set up on the site in 2005.