Our next stop was Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malacca. It is Malaysia’s oldest traditional Chinese temple. As I stood before the magnificent gates of the temple, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of grandeur. Its traditional Chinese architecture with the curved roof was nothing short of a wonder. The Chinese sculptures of lions on the gate stared at me as though they were welcoming me inside. I had read that they were supposed to act as the guardian angels of the worshippers who visit the temple. I stepped inside to find out more.
Sculptures of lions on the Gate | Image Resource : wikimedia.org
The entrance to the temple was rich in decoration. The curved rooftop was dotted with various sculptures of Chinese origin. There were Buddhist scriptures written in gold colour all over the front wall and the pillars, which were made of stone. The numerous lamps that hung from the roof added to the beauty of it all. The sight stirred up the art lover in me. I was overcome with a wonderful feeling of joy as I went into the temple.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple | Image Resource : travelphotographersmagazine.com
The temple was made up of several prayer halls each flamboyantly decorated. I walked into the main prayer hall that was huge in size. It contained the central altar of the temple, which was dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin. I visited numerous other prayer halls and found Buddhist goddesses of wealth, longevity and propagation residing in them. One of the prayer halls contained ancestral tablets. As I looked at them, I couldn’t help but marvel at the rich cultural heritage the temple bore.
Kuan Yin, goddess of Mercy | Image Resource : wikimedia.org
As I explored the temple some more, I got to see various wall paintings that depicted ancient wars, sculptures of mythical creatures like golden phoenixes and dragons. I was more than excited to find stone tablets in the temple, which contained scriptures that were said to describe the main events in the Chinese history. For a while there, I was transported back in time and got to feel a slice of ancient China.
My visit to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (translated as the temple of green clouds) was truly majestic. Just as it provided rest and refreshment to the travellers under the green and clear clouds of ancient Malacca, it provides its present visitors a breathtaking experience of history, culture and grandeur.
My visit to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (translated as the temple of green clouds) was truly majestic. Just as it provided rest and refreshment to the travellers under the green and clear clouds of ancient Malacca, it provides its present visitors a breathtaking experience of history, culture and grandeur.
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