The Tiger Cave Temple

It was our final morning in Krabi Province. After a leisurely breakfast on Railay Beach, we took a long-tail boat back to Krabi, where we booked a taxi to the airport. On the way back, we had arranged to stop by Wat Tham Suea, or the Tiger Cave Temple, in Krabi. The temple is built next to some steep mountains, and a strenuous climb up 1,237 steps will bring you to some of the most incredible views in Krabi. Because we had all of our luggage with us, we skipped the trek this time. I've done it before, however. While a difficult climb, it's definitely worth it!

the temple was still under construction the last time I was here

We received a blessing from a Buddhist nun with a white robe and a shaved head. She tied a maroon braid around our wrists and wished us luck and health. We also decided to make merit by making a donation to the temple. 

we bough incense, flowers, and oil to make merit at the temple

We purchased a marigold, some candles, incense, and a little bottle of oil. The flowers, incense, and candles were placed in front of a shrine to the Chinese goddess Guanyin, and we emptied the oil into the lanterns which burn in front of the temple's shrine.

colorful joss sticks corresponding to the days of the week

One very interesting feature at the temple is a large statue of Ji Gong, a Chinese monk and folk hero who lived in the 11th century. He is famous for his eccentric behaviors, mischievous attitude, and his rather un-Buddha-like actions, such as eating meat and consuming alcohol. Ji Gong, though a devout Buddhist monk, eschewed the ascetics of the monastic lifestyle. He has also been deified in Chinese folk religion, and is a popular figure in Chinese mythology.

Around the turn of the century, a Singaporean man was cured from a terrible illness after receiving a vision of Ji Gong. In gratitude, he traveled to a number of Buddhist temples around the world constructing shrines to Ji Gong. This statue is one of them.

a shrine of fortune

The temple is built alongside the mountains, and the monks live in a series of cave chambers in the side of the cliffs. The temple itself is named the "Tiger Cave Temple" for a tiger's footprint which was found inside one of these caves. Last time we were here, we missed the actual Tiger Cave itself! We fought our way past a troop of monkeys to the spacious cavern, where monks sat in meditation before a Burmese-style statue of the Buddha.

monks inside the cave temple

Behind the monks, a cabinet held a collection of Buddhist relics from nine different countries. The relics, which look like tiny gems or colorful beads, are held inside crystal reliquaries, and kept in an ornate display case. This is one of the most valuable collections at the temple.

Buddhist relics from 9 different countries

Behind the platform where the monks were sitting, we were able to climb a short (and very narrow) set of stairs to the tiger's cave itself. There was no tiger there, of course, but there was a statue of a tiger, festooned in marigold garlands and sitting before dozens of small gifts and offerings. The tiger's nose was covered in gold leaf - evidently people had placed the tiny squares of gold that one gets when making merit there in order to make a wish to the tiger.

     

We ate southern-style curries (not spicy!) at a small local market outside of the temple, then took the taxi onward to the airport. Our five-day holiday was at an end, but when we returned to Bangkok, we were both feeling happier, healthier and very much refreshed. 

lucky statues at the temple