Kek Lok Si (Chinese: 極樂寺) is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia. Kek Lok Si is the largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from other countries in Southeast Asia.
Kek Lok Si was built in 1891 and completed in 1904, covering an area of 120,000 square meters.
There are many inscriptions engraved on the rock near the main entrance of Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, some of which were inscribed by literati from China.
There are many restaurants and shops in Penang Kek Lok Temple, which is a bit like a big shopping mall, very secular.
In Hokkien ,a southern Chinese language, Kek-lok literally means ‘supreme joy’, a translation from Sanskrit of Sukhāvatī (सुखावती), means paradise. Si means ‘temple’.
The architectural style of Kek Lok Si is a collection of different cultures, reflecting the generosity and tolerance of Buddhism.
The temple itself consists of several large prayer halls and pavilions for assembly and prayer, statues of Buddha, various bodhisattvas as well as Chinese deities are being venerated.
To go to the Guanyin Pavilion (觀音閣) at the uphill of the mountain, you can take the elevators. The elevators are the first inclined elevators in Malaysia. It only takes two minutes to reach the Guanyin Pavilion.
