Thni Kong Tnua (Jade Emperor's Pavilion), Penang槟城天公坛（玉皇殿）

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Malaysia · Penang (state) · Air Itam · At the foot of Penang Hill, Air Itam

First built

Completed in 1869 · Built by the Hokkien community during the 1860s; restoration work has been carried out since 2002

Overview

Penang's Thni Kong Tnua (Jade Emperor's Pavilion) was completed in 1869, built by the Hokkien community of Penang during the 1860s, and dedicated mainly to the Jade Emperor (Thni Kong, 'Heaven Lord'); it is the only temple in Malaysia built specifically for the worship of the Jade Emperor. The temple stands at the foot of Penang Hill and is the central site for the annual 'worship of Heaven Lord' held on the ninth day of the first lunar month by the Chinese of Penang — among the Hokkien communities of southern Fujian and the Nanyang region, the ninth day of the first month is held to be the Jade Emperor's birthday, and the scale of the offerings made on this day often exceeds that of New Year's Eve, making Thni Kong Tnua the center of Penang's seasonal folk customs. Worship of the Jade Emperor in the Chinese temples of the Nanyang region usually appears in a secondary role alongside other deities, and a temple dedicated to him alone is extremely rare, giving this pavilion a special position within the pantheon of Daoist deities in Southeast Asia. Restoration work has been carried out since 2002. It is a site combining the popular religion of the Hokkien community with the Daoist worship of the Jade Emperor.

Highlights

• The only temple in Malaysia dedicated solely to the Jade Emperor
• The central site for the worship of Heaven Lord on the ninth day of the first lunar month
• At the foot of Penang Hill
• Built by the Hokkien community