Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Cheng Hoon Teng was founded in the seventeenth century by the Chinese community of Melaka and has functioned continuously since, which makes it the oldest working Chinese temple in the country. The materials came by sea from Fujian: timber for the beams, granite for the columns, and the cut porcelain and coloured glass that forms the dragons and figures crowded along the roof ridges. Inside, three halls serve Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist observance side by side, thick with incense smoke and hung with gilded carved panels. The temple stands on Jalan Tokong, usually called Harmony Street, because a Hindu temple and a mosque of comparable age stand within a few hundred metres. A restoration in the early 2000s won a conservation award.

History

The temple was founded in Dutch Malacca by the Chinese Kapitans Tay Kie Ki and Tay Hong Yong in 1645, though the date is disputed: an inscription dated to the 28th year of the Ming Wanli reign suggests a building may have stood here by 1600 or earlier. More structures were added in 1673 under Kapitan Li Wei King with materials brought from China, Kapitan Chan Ki Lock built a main hall in 1704, and in 1801 the temple was renovated and extended under Kapitan Chua Su Cheong, father of the first Kapitan of Singapore. It served as the main place of worship of the local Hokkien community, in 1962 its abbot Seck Kim Seng ordained the English Zen nun Houn Jiyu-Kennett here, and in 2003 its restoration won a UNESCO award (Wikipedia, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple).

What's there

• The porcelain roof ridges - dragons and figures cut from glazed porcelain and coloured glass.
• The main prayer hall - gilded carving, hanging incense coils and the Guanyin altar.
• The Fujian timber frame - beams and bracket sets shipped from southern China.
• Harmony Street - the mosque and Hindu temple standing on the same short street.

When to go

Mornings are calmest, with worshippers rather than tour groups and low light coming through the incense smoke. The temple is busiest and most atmospheric around Chinese New Year and the Nine Emperor Gods festival, when the whole street fills. Weekend afternoons overlap with the Jonker Street crowds. Shoulders and knees covered, and no flash inside the halls.

Before you go

Incense smoke is heavy and can be uncomfortable if you have a sensitive chest. The temple is compact and a visit takes half an hour, so it works as part of a walk rather than on its own. Coach groups arrive in bursts and fill the small forecourt completely. Photographing worshippers at the altars is intrusive and not appreciated by anyone there.

Nearby

Kampung Kling Mosque, Jonker Street and the Melaka River walk are on the same block of streets.

Key facts