Thean Hou Temple

Thean Hou sits on a hill in Seputeh, a large modern temple opened in 1989 and run by the Hainanese community of Kuala Lumpur. It is built on six tiers, with a grand staircase, a courtyard hung with hundreds of red lanterns, and a main hall holding three deities, among them Mazu, the sea goddess whose protection Hainanese migrants carried with them across the South China Sea. The architecture is deliberately eclectic, mixing Chinese roof forms with concrete construction and Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian elements side by side. From the upper terrace you look across the Klang valley to the towers of the centre. It is a working temple with fortune sticks, a herb garden and a wedding registry, not a museum piece.

History

The temple was built from 1981 to 1987 at a cost of about RM7 million, with Hainanese contributors including the architect Robert Chow (Wikipedia, Thean Hou Temple).

What's there

• The lantern courtyard - hundreds of red lanterns strung above the upper terrace.
• The main prayer hall - the three shrines, with Mazu at the centre.
• The tiered roofs - dragon and phoenix ridge ornament seen from the grand staircase.
• The hilltop outlook - the Klang valley and the city towers from the top terrace.

When to go

Any morning is quiet and cool. The temple is at its most photogenic in the fortnight before Chinese New Year, when the lanterns are dense and stalls fill the forecourt, but that is also when it is most crowded. Late afternoon into blue hour gives the best light on the red and gold. Weddings often occupy the halls at weekends.

Before you go

It is recent construction and looks it up close, concrete and tile rather than old timber, which disappoints anyone expecting an antique temple. Getting there means a taxi, since no station is near and the hill is steep on foot. During festival weeks the courtyard is shoulder to shoulder and the lantern photographs everyone wants are close to impossible.

Nearby

Brickfields, the Lake Gardens and the Islamic arts collection lie a short drive north.

Key facts