Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Melaka
N 02° 11.842 E 102° 14.810
48N E 193746 N 243158
The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Melaka is the oldest (functioning) Chinese temple in Malaysia and has gained an UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration.
Waymark Code: WM8AJ2
Location: Malaysia
Date Posted: 03/01/2010
Views: 11
The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Jalan Tokong, Malacca, is the oldest and one of the grandest Chinese temples in Malaysia. The temple, with its curved roof ridge, cut-and-paste chien nien decoration, and gable design, reflects the architectural style of South China, of craftsmen from Fujian and Guangdong. It has recently been restored, and in the process garnered a prestigious Unesco award for outstanding architectural restoration.
Cheng Hoon Teng, which means Temple of Clear Clouds, was founded in the early 17th century by the Kapitan China Tay Kie Ki alias Tay Hong Yong.
The richly decorated Cheng Hoon Teng temple covers an area of 4,600 m2.
Featuring a magnificent main gate along Jalan Tokong, the Cheng Hoon Teng temple consists of a complex of several prayer halls, with a large main prayer hall dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin. Additional smaller prayer quarters were added later. One of these is dedicated to the Taoist gods of wealth, longevity and propagation, while another houses ancestral tablets.
One of the most dramatic features of Cheng Hoon Teng temple is the seven-metre red flag-pole facing the left wing of the main prayer hall, which houses the remains of two of the three Kapitans who contributed to the construction of the temple. Across the road is a traditional opera theatre, which forms a part of the Cheng Hoon Teng temple complex.
The building conforms to the principles of feng shui. The complex is laid out to ensure a view of the river and high ground on either side.
Open to visitors?: Yes
Statue of the Buddha present?: Yes
Related Website: [Web Link]
Photography Permitted Inside?: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:Include in your log one or two complete sentences. Logs containing a few words like "visited it" are subject to deletion.
Photos of the shrine are strongly encouraged when permitted otherwise please refrain from taking pictures inside and in any case, generally have respect for the religious nature of the site.