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Friday, 12 February 2010 00:00 |
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 ARGUABLY the largest Buddhist temple complex in Malaysia, the Kek Lok Si temple, which is also referred to as the “Temple of Supreme Bliss” or the “Pure Land Temple”, covers the expanse of a sloping, east-facing hillside at Air Itam, just to the west of the city of George Town.
Constructed began in 1893 and was officially opened in 1905. Nevertheless it was only in 1927 that the iconic pagoda, today one of the most recognisable landmarks of Penang, came into being. “Construction began in 1915 under the second abbot of Kek Lok Si, Ben Zhong, who was also instrumented in founding the Kuan Yin See. Its official name is the Pagoda of Rama VI, so named after the Thai monarch who laid the foundation stone. Generally, however, it is better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas or Ban Po That. This unusual pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, effectively fusing Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism symbols into one structure.” (Penang Travel Tips)
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