George Town

June 26, 2015 🇲🇾 I booked a private car tour through KKDAY~ "Kek Lok Si Temple + Penang Hill (including fast pass)" The cost was about NT$4156, and later we added a third person (RM205, which included RM80 for the cable car fast pass). Our tour guide was Brother Wang~ His service was excellent! They were just speaking a little softly, but they opened the door for us as we got in the car. Our first stop was Kek Lok Si Temple. We took photos at the foot of the mountain where we would take the cable car and also saw the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Brother Wang said we shouldn't take the cable car, as it was too tiring to walk. He suggested we be driven to the top, as the entire route was downhill and only required one trip. The Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas is 30 meters high and was built in 1930. In 1915, King Rama VI (the uncle of King Rama IX and the great-uncle of the current King) personally laid the foundation stone for the pagoda and donated a large sum of money. To commemorate this event, it is also known as the "Rama VI Pagoda." The architecture blends Chinese, Thai, and Burmese designs. The top two levels are a Burmese-style spiral golden dome, the middle three levels are a Thai-style white pagoda, and the bottom three levels are a Chinese-style octagonal base. Next, we went up the mountain to see the Guanyin statue. Brother Wang said this statue was only completed in 2002 and cost more than 70 million Malaysian Ringgit (approximately 500 million New Taiwan Dollars). The octagonal pavilion surrounding the Guanyin statue, built by 16 large pillars, obscures the front view when taking photos, as some scaffolding blocks the view. It's better to take photos from the side. The entire Kek Lok Si Temple was built by Master Miao Lian, who gathered many people to help. She became a nun at the age of 32 and felt she should make a contribution to overseas Chinese. She raised funds from Chinese businessmen, including Zheng Jinggui, who owned Penang's most luxurious mansion, now the Peranakan Museum. The temple is situated by the sea and is about 36,000 ping (approximately 15 football fields) in size. Construction began in 1891 and took 14 years to complete in 1904. During this period, China faced the Eight-Nation Alliance's occupation of Beijing, and Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi fled west. The Qing government was forced to sign unequal treaties and pay the Boxer Indemnity. To show his patriotism, Master Miao Lian donated tens of thousands of silver dollars raised to the Qing government. The following year, in 1905, Empress Dowager Cixi specially summoned Master Miao Lian to Beijing and bestowed upon him some scriptures and plaques. Master Miao Lian passed away two years later in 1907 at the age of 83. Penang Hill, at an altitude of approximately 830 meters, was once a summer retreat for British officials who colonized Malaysia. The cable car, installed in 1923, takes less than 5 minutes to reach the summit. Even on a hot midday in the northwest, it's refreshingly cool up there – quite a pleasant experience! From the observation deck, you can see Penang's cityscape, including George Town and the Penang Bridge. There are also golf cart-like vehicles that essentially circle the hill. There are residences and cafes at the top. We specifically visited the Pitcher Plant Open-Air Cafe, which was fantastic. They also provide photo opportunities along the way.

We had a great afternoon exploring George Town with Shawn. He confirmed our hotel pick-up a few days in advance and even suggested starting earlier to avoid the forecasted rain. Everything was well organised, and he shared plenty of interesting stories about George Town along the way. I knew it was an English-speaking tour when I booked it, but I had hoped Shawn could speak Mandarin too. 😄 He couldn't, but luckily he spoke Hokkien! Although Penang Hokkien is a little different from Singapore Hokkien, my aged parents understood him well and enjoyed chatting with him throughout the tour. The trishaw ride was the highlight! It was my first time riding one, and I somehow got a private ride instead of a shared one. The rider knew all the best mural photo spots and even helped us get great photos. A fun and memorable experience for the whole family!