I think the best time to visit Kek lok Si Temple Penang is in the evening or night during Chinese New Year. That’s when it’s all lighted up and looks like a fairy land. Of course, you will have to go through a horrendous traffic jam and have difficulty looking for a car park but the magical atmosphere and beauty is worth it. The view is breathtaking.

 

The best time to go to Kek Lok Si Temple is in the evening just before they turn on the lights. Then you can watch the lights being turned on and the place turn from beautiful to magical like an enchanted palace. The kids love it. Usually we’ll go in the evening then we wait for the lights to be turned on and everyone will go Ooohh and Aaahhh.

This year, being The Year Of The Dragon 2012, there are two dragon lights guarding the gate to the pagoda. This is the Dragon before the lights are turned on.

The Dragon after the lights are turned on turns into a magical fire breathing dragon, well almost.

There are lanterns and lights everywhere at the Kek Lok Si Temple, there are lights within the temple.

There are lights on the trees…..

There are lights on the temple rooftops….

 

There are lights on the railings and walls of the temple….

Then there is the magnificent and towering 30.3m tall Goddess of Mercy or Guan Yin Statue. You’d have to take an inclined lift to take you further uphill or if you choose to, you can drive up there but walking is better so you get to see everything and  you don’t have to go through the jam.

The gardens are lovely too at the Kek Lok Si Temple

I love this mini tomato plants at the Kek  Lok Si Temple. They were everywhere near the Pagoda. They look like mini mandarin oranges and add to the Chinese New Year atmosphere.

There are pumpkin plants too, hidden at the corner beside the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas.

Here is part of the evening crowd waiting for the lights to come on. You can see how these plants were magically transformed once the lights come on in the same picture above but with the lights on the plants.

You also get to see Penang from a bird’s eye view. We got to see fireworks too at various parts of Penang from the top. What a sight to behold.

We enjoyed our visit to the Kek Lok Si Temple. There are car parks at every level of the temple but the best way to see the temple is to park at the lowest level and walk. Mind you, you will have lots of walking to do.

There are 3 main levels to the temple if I am not mistaken. The first level, the ground level is the oldest part. If you walk up that way, you will pass by many souvenir shops, you will pass by a turtle sanctuary. Go higher up and you reach the pagodas. You might have to pay extra to enter the pagoda section but its worth while. Then you take an inclined lift to the highest part of the temple where the Guan Yin statue is. The temple grounds there are lovely with landscaped gardens and a koi fish pond, wishing trees etc. Or you can drive up to any of the levels you want and park your car but of course you’d have to brave the traffic.

Map to Kek Lok Si Temple

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