One of the most famous of all Buddhist deities is Kuan Yin, who is also known as the Goddess of Compassion among her many devotees.

Her name is Chinese for Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara – in Buddhism, a bodhisattva is someone who has achieved nirvana but decides to remain in the material world to help The Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) Temple was founded around 1800 and features a sweeping roof with ornately decorated copings and ridges.

The Kuan Yin Temple, situated on Pitt Street (now Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling) was constructed in the early 1800s by Chinese migrants, on land given by the East India Company.

Today, it is a very popular temple, visited by young and old alike offering sandalwood incense. well its the most popular temple in Penang ...well this temple is devoted to Kuan Yin or Goddess of Mercy ...the legend of her compassion is well known ...my grandma once told me that The Kuan Yin help Penangite during the World War II ...by providing safe shelters to many ....perhaps thats why so many locals throng this temple during Kuan Yin's Birthday ( the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth lunar month), every 1st and 15th of chinese lunar calender ...Chinese opera or puppet theatre is performed in the granite-paved forecourt on the Goddess of Mercy's feast days well if you want to pray for safety and good health.

Kuan Yin's devotees number by the millions in many parts of Asia and the world, from cosmopolitan cities to the remotest villages. Her statue is commonly found in homes and Buddhist temples in various incarnations, often cloaked in white robes. She is depicted either standing or sitting on a lotus flower, sometimes with a baby. She holds a string of prayer beads in one hand and the Lotus Sutra or vase in the other; the former a sign of her devotion and the latter symbolising her compassion to the world. Within the temple, in an inner chamber, is a statue of an 18-armed Kuan Yin. In the courtyard are two huge iron stoves where devotees burn paper offerings, and an octagonal well which once served the Chinese community.

It was originally called Kong Hock Keong and ownership was claimed by both the Cantonese and Hokkien communities. In 1862, Penang philantropist Khaw Soo Cheang made a sizable donation to the temple so major repairs could be carried out.

Despite the name, the temple is actually dedicated to two deities – Kuan Yin and Ma Chor Poh, the latter being the patron saint of seafarers. Being oceangoing travelers, these two deities were especially significant to the Chinese.

The temple was built in the style of classic Chinese architecture with ornate curved-ridge rooftops made to look like ocean waves, decorated with dragons and supported by pillars which also feature carvings of dragons. These mythical creatures are believed to be temple guardians.

Submitted by: Jerry H. Hall For more information about Penang Island or Malaysia, see http://www.PenangIsland.Info. Come and be amazed with the sights, great food and multicultural community.