Big Prayer

A man holds a big burning joss stick outside the Guan Yin Temple, Penang, Malaysia. Every festive season, worshipers travel to this temple to pray to gods and deities.

Taiwanese Tourists

Two Taiwanese tourists outside the Goddess of Mercy temple waiting for their friends.

House Husband

A father feeds his child outside the Goddess of Mercy temple, Penang, in effort to get sympathy from worshipers.

Keep On Looking

She's Above You

Street Photography I

Taking Over

Kuan Yin Teng, or Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, is one of the most important temples in Penang. Officially known as Kong Hock Keong, it is located along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, formerly Pitt Street, and is one of the oldest Chinese temples in George Town. If you study the history of the Goddess of Mercy Temple, you would be surprised to learn that at the time it was built, it was not dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, but rather to Ma Chor Po, the patron saint of seafarers. Click here to read more.

Gruesome Guardian

This is one of the guardians of the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) bronze statue. Check out my portfolio to look at the statue.

My Name Is Guan Yin

Guan Yin (also spelled Kuan Yin, Kwan Yin or Quan Yin and known as Kuan Shih Yin), is known as the Goddess of Compassion & Healing. She is one of the most popular deities in all of Asia. Her name in Chinese translates as "The One Who Hears the Cries of the World". She is the most beloved and revered of the Chinese dieties. Guan Yin is the Divine Mother we all long for: merciful, tender, compassionate, loving, protecting, caring, healing, and wise. She quietly comes to the aid of her children everywhere. Her mantra is 'Om Mani Padme Hum.' (that is, 'Hail the Jewel -or pearl- in the Lotus.') Many believe that she is the female representation of Avalokitesvara, who is the Tibetan and Nepalese God of Compassion. In Asia, statues of Guan Yin can be found in front of, or on the grounds of, many Buddhist temples. (Source: http://www.circle-of-light.com/Mantras/KuanYin.html)

Spectacular

This is the Goddess of Mercy at sunset. The huge bronze statue is at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang, Malaysia. Kek Lok Si Temple is translated as the "Temple of Supreme Bliss".

Kek Lok Si Sunset

The Kek Lok Si temple was begun in 1890 and, from all appearances, construction really hasn't ever stopped. And it's still going on! The temple is supposedly the largest in Malaysia. The Kek Lok Si project was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Kuang Hsi, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras. (Source: http://www.malaysiasite.nl/kekloksieng.htm)

Sisters

Here is a photo showing two sisters outside the Goddess of Mercy Temple in Penang, Malaysia waiting for free food and also money. I heard that they were once popular singers back in the very early days. Fame turned around and here they are. Also, check out another photo titled Hard Day Thanks for reading.

Hard Day

This old lady was sitting in the sun begging for money. The heat was absolutely scorching. It was so bright that I couldn't open my eyes widely. Coupled with smoke, it wasn't a pleasant day at all. However, a day's "work" for this old lady is never completed without some income. This photo was taken outside the Goddess of Mercy Temple in Penang, Malaysia.

The New Goddess

The Goddess of Mercy Pavilion is 82.7 meters tall, from its base to the tip, equivalent to the height of a 20-storey building. The roof is a three-tier pagoda supported by 16 granite pillars embellished with ornate carvings. Each of the pillars comprises 40 cylindrical blocks which are made of granite with a thickness of 45 centimeters. Each cylinder block has a circumference of 2.1 meters. The pavilion was built at a cost of RM40 million (USD11.8 million).

The Kuan Yin Goddess of Mercy Pavilion is a gargantuan pavilion at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang. It shelters the gigantic statue of the Kuan Yin, or Goddess of Mercy of Mahayana Buddhism.