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Getting to Thean Hou Temple … an easy and nearest journey for sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur
Thean Hou Temple located on top of Robson Hill, off Jalan Syed Putra; you may ride a bus or take taxi to this temple. It is located on 1.67 acres (6,760 m˛) of land atop Robson Heights along Lorong Bellamy, overlooking Jalan Syed Putra
Driving to this temple is very easy; you need to drive towards Petaling Jaya via Jalan Syed Putra. Turn left into Jalan Robson or Robson Road. After approximately 300 meter drive, watch out for the small signboard “THEAN HOU TEMPLE” on your left side. The distance of this temple is approximately 4 km from the city centre. So sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur never been tough drive for this temple.
Thean Hou Temple… a perfect place to relax and enjoy the panoramic view of the Kuala Lumpur landmarks and skyline.
The temple belongs to and is run by the Selangor & Federal Territory Hainan Association (Persatuan Hainan Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan). This temple, built by the Hainanese community living in Kuala Lumpur is dedicated to Goddess Tian Hou (The Heavenly Mother). The temple is very popular among newly married couples to take their wedding photos. There is also a marriage registration office here for couple to exchange their vow. This temple said to be built more than 100 years ago in Jalan Sultan. After years of planning and fund-raising, the ground-breaking ceremony for the new building was held on Aug 30, 1981. In 1987, the MRM 7 million project was completed but it was only opened for public on Sept 3, 1989 Apart from being a place of worship, the temple is also a place for cultural activities like the grand birthday celebrations for Thean Hou Goddess, Kuan Yin and the Goddess of the Waterfront, Dharma Prayers, Wesak Day, Moon cake Festival and the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration. The Thean Hou Goddess' birthday celebration at the temple is touted as the biggest ever held outside China.
The prayer hall and external feature.
The prayer hall has 3 altars, each with a sculpture of one deity or goddess. As one enters the prayer hall, the altar on the right is dedicated to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Tian Hou is in the centre while Shui Wei Sheng Niang (the Goddess of the Waterfront) is at the left. In the middle of the hall and between the altars are two pairs of Kau Cim oracles that can be used by visitors. The Kau Cim also known as” The Oracle of Guan Yin" in Buddhist traditions. Kau Cim is a fortune telling practice that originated in China in which the querent requests answers from a sacred oracle lot. Despite the dedication to Tian Hou, worship of Guan Yin (or "Guan Shi-Yin") is a recurrent theme at the Thean Hou Temple. In addition to her altar in the prayer hall, there is also a smaller statue of Guan Yin to the right of the hall, set amongst rocks and falling water. Here one can kneel and receive a blessing of water from the statue. Outside the temple at the entrance to the grounds, there is a larger statue, similarly set amongst rocks and falling water. Other features include a Chinese Medicinal Herbs Garden, a Wishing Well as well as a Tortoise Pond . Finally there is a large statue of the goddess opposite the temple, along with a collection of other large statues that include representations of the twelve animals of Chinese astrology. The decoration of the temple with elements of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism is a grandiose structure and represents a successful combination of modern architectural techniques and authentic traditional design This building design featuring imposing pillars, spectacular roofs, ornate carvings and intricate embellishments. Its grand architecture has made it a popular tourist destination. The front entrance of the temple features a multi-arched gateway with red pillars, the color symbolic of prosperity and good fortune. Souvenir stalls and a canteen are found on the 1st level. The 2nd level houses the multi-purpose hall while offices are located on the 3rd level. The 4th level has 3 tiers and the prayer hall is located here.
Why Thean Hou is significance to the Hainanese.The Hainanese (people originating from the island of Hainan in China) were traditionally fishermen and sailors. They prayed to and worshipped Tian Hou for safety and protection while they were at sea.This practise has continued even though their community in Kuala Lumpur no longer goes out to sea. The people coming to this temple for worship are from a cross section of the local Chinese population (of all walks of life and various dialects). I think this is because there is Guan Yin which worshipped by other non Hainanese Chinese.
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