Kuan Yin Floating Temple

clan jetties in Penang

On the eastern coast of Penang, just outside of the Old Town, are the famous "clan jetties". The six long jetties are the traditional relics of the Chinese merchant family settlements on Penang island. A rickety boardwalk twists around dozens of houses, temples, shrines, and shops, all of which are built up on stilts above the water.

a small local Chinese shrine

We were on our way through the maze that is the clan jetties of Penang to the famous Guan Yin Temple, which is also built on stilts. Guan Yin is one of the most beloved goddesses in the Chinese pantheon. She is the goddess of mercy, and is revered as both a Taoist immortal and a Buddhist Bodhisattva. There were numerous small family temples and shrines on the jetties, but we were on our way to the big temple.

walking down the clan jetties

In the past, there used to be seven clan jetties, but the seventh burnt down in a terrible fire. Today, the six remaining jetties are historical sites along the Penang Heritage Trail, and are popular places for photography.

Hean Boo Thean Temple

When I say that the jetties were a maze, I really do mean it! We spent probably a quarter of an hour winding through the twisting stilt pathways on the way to the temple. Fortunately, the way was clearly market. Eventually, though, we were at the waterfront, and the famous old temple to the goddess Guan Yin was in front of us.

in the temple hall

The temple is built in a Chinese style, very much like those temples that we saw when we were in Vietnam last year. Inside, statues to dozens of Chinese immortals and deities were enshrined. Guan Yin is also a goddess of the sea, so this temple has always been very popular with the shipping and merchant families who made their fortunes as traders from China.

the temple is Chinese-style, and reminds me of what we saw in Vietnam

It was quiet at the temple. A small group of Chinese-Malay men were sitting in a corner playing checkers, and a (possibly Thai?) tourist was photographing his (also possibly Thai?) girlfriend as she posed in front of the classical Chinese architecture.

lotuses at the temple

As we explored the temple, the wind picked up and the air began growing heavy. It was going to storm! My girlfriend began rushing me; you don't want to be caught outside in the rain during the monsoon season. It's not fun!

the temple is built out over the water

The temple was sprawling, clean, and beautiful. Malaysia is a very interesting country in its diversity. There are large Malay, Chinese, and Indian populations, all practicing their own cultures and religions. The Buddhist temples in Malaysia are vastly different from those found in Thailand, despite Penang being just barely across the border. The temples are definitively Chinese.

the temple is dedicated to Guanyin, but there are shrines to many Chinese deities

The Chinese community is very historic and influential in Penang. Like in Bangkok and southern Thailand, Chinese merchants were responsible for establishing many of the social clubs, financial institutions, and mercantile organizations in the city.

various statues in the shrine hall

While the temple is nominally Buddhist, to me it seemed to be much more heavily influenced by Taoism. Like many of the temples that we saw when we were staying in Hanoi, Vietnam, this temple's prayer hall enshrined dozens of statues and religious images.

offerings

There's a bigger, more famous temple in Penang, but I didn't have time to visit it. Maybe next time. This one, while still famous, is more off the beaten track. Visiting it gave me a good look at a little bit of the customs and traditions of the Chinese merchant clans who have built their lives on the jetties.

The Temple of the Goddess of the Southern Seas

The main deity here was Guanyin, though. Even outside of the temple, a dozen or so statues to the Goddess of Mercy (also the Goddess of the Sea, hence her importance to the sailors and merchants in Penang) looked out from the coast of Penang.

Guanyin is the Chinese Goddess of Mercy 

The sky was growing darker, but I was having too much fun exploring the jetty and the temple to head back yet!

looking back over Penang

Fortunately, we were able to make it back to the guest house before the rain started to fall. I guess we just got lucky!

a storm was coming in