Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur吉隆坡乐圣岭天后宫

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Malaysia · Kuala Lumpur · Kuala Lumpur · Lorong Bellamy, Seputeh, on the summit of Robson Heights; occupies about 6,758 square meters

Coordinates

3.1217, 101.6878 Map ↗

First built

Construction began in 1981, completed in 1987, and officially opened on 3 September 1989 · Built under the auspices of the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association, funded by about 7 million ringgit contributed by Malaysia's Hainanese Chinese community

Overview

Thean Hou Temple was built under the auspices of the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association, funded by contributions of about seven million ringgit from Malaysia's Hainanese Chinese community; construction began in 1981, was completed in 1987, and the temple formally opened on 3 September 1989. It is dedicated principally to Empress of Heaven (Mazu), with subsidiary worship of Guanyin, Shuiwei Shengniang, and the Old Man under the Moon (Yuelao), forming a Buddho-Daoist-Confucian syncretic arrangement. Shuiwei Shengniang is a goddess particular to Hainan, and her inclusion directly reflects the ancestral-place identity of the community that built the temple. The temple consists of six levels of halls, occupies an area of about 6,758 square meters (1.67 acres), and is built on the summit of Robson Heights with layered eaves and upswept corners; it is one of the largest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia and a landmark of Kuala Lumpur. The Yuelao Hall is a popular destination for those seeking marriage, and the temple receives around eighty thousand visitors during the Lunar New Year period. It is a popular-religion temple operated by the Hainanese Chinese community, not an institutionalized Daoist organization.

Highlights

• One of the largest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia
• Shuiwei Shengniang (a goddess particular to Hainan)
• Built under the auspices of the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association
• Six levels of halls, including the Yuelao Hall