Kuan Yin Teng
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. 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.
Now, another discovery I made was that the official name of the Kuan Yin Teng is actually Kong Hock Keong, Which means, "Temple of the Cantonese and Hokkien community". That's short for "everybody's temple". The name Kong Hock Keong is derived from "Kong" for Kong fu, meaning Cantonese, and "Hock " for Hokkien, and reflects the two main provinces in China from which the majority of the Chinese immigrants in Penang originate. The foundation stone of the temple was laid around 1728, making it one of the oldest temples in Penang, earlier than clan temples such as Khoo Kongsi. Built at the cost of 4000 Spanish dollars, a princely sum, it must have been the most magnificent Chinese building in northern Malaya when it was completed, as most of the clan temples of George Town have not yet been built to rival it.
As with all important Chinese buildings, the choice of site is all dependent on feng shui. The Kuan Yin Teng was sited on a gentle knoll, which is regarded as a dragonin feng shui, a geomantically strategic place to locate a temple. In keeping with ceh-sua-kua-hai or viewing-the-sea-from-a-hillside-peach position, the temple was to command a view of the sea all the way to the hills of Province Wellesley. There are two visible wells at the Kuan Yin Teng, one at the courtyard for public use, and one within the temple, for the monks. Though now disused, they are significant from feng shui aspect, for they are regarded as the "eyes of the dragon". According to belief, there is supposed to be a third well, right under the front altar, which act as the dragon's "third eye'.
The Kuan Yin Teng underwent a major renovation in 1824, when it was enlarged to provide more space for aq plethora of new dieties. As a temple for the Cantonese and Hokkien communities, it tried to play a role as mediator to their many aquabbles. From 1830to1850, the various dialect groups began to polarise, and toassert their respective influences.Rival secret societies societies were established(by the way, the team "secret society" was an entirely British creation because they were unable to pry into the activities of these groups) to stack claims over farmlands, economic resources, and eventually tin-mining areas in Perak. Alliances were being forged between groups and also with rivalling Malay groups. As the Chinese community become disunited, the Kuan Yin Teng found itself not only helpless in its mediating efforts, but also suffered from lack of attention. the rival groups, forming their own clan associations, of kongsis, proceeded to build their own clan temple in George Town. Due to rivalry these clan temples become even more ornate and opulent compared to the Kuan Yin Teng. Indeed the list of donors to the Kuan YinTeng in 1862 shows that the directors and donors to the temple came from rival societies.
The continual polarisation of the Chinese society in 19th cenyury George Town culminated with the Penang Riots of 1867 and the three Larut Wars of 1860-1874, which resulted in British intervention in Perak. Each time, the Kuan Yin Teng failed to mediate between the rival groups. Eventually, the Chinese community decided that there should be a separation between spiritual and secular affairs and this led to the founding of the Penang Chinese Town Hall in 1880, to look into the non-spiritual needs of the community.
Despite its long and often tumultuous history, the Kuan Yin Teng continues to be one of the most popular temples among the Chinese taoist community of Penang, and throngs come to worship here, especially on Temple Days, which fall on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, and on the Goddess of Mercy's feast days, which are on the 19th day of the 2nd, 6th and 9th month of the lunar calender. Yhere feast days mark the anniversaries of the Avalokitesvara's birthday, initiation, and attaining Nirvana. It is common that puppet shows and Chinese operas are staged on these days in her honour.
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. 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.
Now, another discovery I made was that the official name of the Kuan Yin Teng is actually Kong Hock Keong, Which means, "Temple of the Cantonese and Hokkien community". That's short for "everybody's temple". The name Kong Hock Keong is derived from "Kong" for Kong fu, meaning Cantonese, and "Hock " for Hokkien, and reflects the two main provinces in China from which the majority of the Chinese immigrants in Penang originate. The foundation stone of the temple was laid around 1728, making it one of the oldest temples in Penang, earlier than clan temples such as Khoo Kongsi. Built at the cost of 4000 Spanish dollars, a princely sum, it must have been the most magnificent Chinese building in northern Malaya when it was completed, as most of the clan temples of George Town have not yet been built to rival it.
As with all important Chinese buildings, the choice of site is all dependent on feng shui. The Kuan Yin Teng was sited on a gentle knoll, which is regarded as a dragonin feng shui, a geomantically strategic place to locate a temple. In keeping with ceh-sua-kua-hai or viewing-the-sea-from-a-hillside-peach position, the temple was to command a view of the sea all the way to the hills of Province Wellesley. There are two visible wells at the Kuan Yin Teng, one at the courtyard for public use, and one within the temple, for the monks. Though now disused, they are significant from feng shui aspect, for they are regarded as the "eyes of the dragon". According to belief, there is supposed to be a third well, right under the front altar, which act as the dragon's "third eye'.
The Kuan Yin Teng underwent a major renovation in 1824, when it was enlarged to provide more space for aq plethora of new dieties. As a temple for the Cantonese and Hokkien communities, it tried to play a role as mediator to their many aquabbles. From 1830to1850, the various dialect groups began to polarise, and toassert their respective influences.Rival secret societies societies were established(by the way, the team "secret society" was an entirely British creation because they were unable to pry into the activities of these groups) to stack claims over farmlands, economic resources, and eventually tin-mining areas in Perak. Alliances were being forged between groups and also with rivalling Malay groups. As the Chinese community become disunited, the Kuan Yin Teng found itself not only helpless in its mediating efforts, but also suffered from lack of attention. the rival groups, forming their own clan associations, of kongsis, proceeded to build their own clan temple in George Town. Due to rivalry these clan temples become even more ornate and opulent compared to the Kuan Yin Teng. Indeed the list of donors to the Kuan YinTeng in 1862 shows that the directors and donors to the temple came from rival societies.
The continual polarisation of the Chinese society in 19th cenyury George Town culminated with the Penang Riots of 1867 and the three Larut Wars of 1860-1874, which resulted in British intervention in Perak. Each time, the Kuan Yin Teng failed to mediate between the rival groups. Eventually, the Chinese community decided that there should be a separation between spiritual and secular affairs and this led to the founding of the Penang Chinese Town Hall in 1880, to look into the non-spiritual needs of the community.
Despite its long and often tumultuous history, the Kuan Yin Teng continues to be one of the most popular temples among the Chinese taoist community of Penang, and throngs come to worship here, especially on Temple Days, which fall on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, and on the Goddess of Mercy's feast days, which are on the 19th day of the 2nd, 6th and 9th month of the lunar calender. Yhere feast days mark the anniversaries of the Avalokitesvara's birthday, initiation, and attaining Nirvana. It is common that puppet shows and Chinese operas are staged on these days in her honour.