Main Tourist Attractions In Penang

Dedicated to Kwan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy,the Kwan Yin Teng Temple is the oldest in Penang, around 2 centuries old. The temple has dragons carved in green stone on the pillars and the roof of the main hall. Located on Jalan Burma, Wat Chayamankalaram is a Thai Buddhist temple and monastery. An interesting feature is that it has the world’s third largest reclining gold-plated figure, 32 m Buddha.   Wat Chayamankalaram, Penang

Atop a hill, Kek Lok Si is Malaysia’s largest Buddhist temple. The temple’s pagoda tower is dedicated to all the manifestations of the Buddha, and so is named the `Pagoda of a Million Buddhas’. Besides Gautam Buddha, there are also halls honouring Kwan Yin and Bee Lay Hood (the Laughing Buddha).

Built in 1850, the Snake Temple has a legend attached to it: it is said to have been built on the spot where a religious man used to live- a pious soul, who used to give shelter in his home to poisonous snakes who came seeking refuge. After he died, the snakes continued to live on- and can still be seen slithering around the temple.

Probably Penang’s most picturesque building, Khoo Kongsi consists of an ancestral temple and a stage for plays and operas. Both are part of a clan house of the Leong San Tong clan association, and the buildings were designed to represent the beauty of the Chinese imperial palace.

These are just some of Penang’s best known sights; besides these, there are other religious, historical and natural sights- such as St George’s Church, Fort Cornwallis with its famous cannon- from which Francis Light fired sacks full of silver coins to tempt his Indian labourers to clear the forests; Penang Museum and Art Gallery, Penang Cultural Centre, Penang Bird Park, Orchid and Hibiscus Garden, The Botanical Gardens, etc. Take your pick.