Malaysia 2024

Sunday3November

After Perak Song, here we are at the temples of Sam Poh Tong which brings together not one but three caves whose entrances follow one another all along this mountain.

We are in front of the southernmost temple.

Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) enjoy the water body.

The gate before entering the cave, under the eyes of the Chinese guardian lion, called "Lion of Fo".

A wall covered with divination sticks. When a believer asks a question to a deity, he shakes a cylinder until a numbered stick falls out, he then comes to this wall to find his answer on the paper corresponding to his number.

The Laughing Buddha. This iconic figure, inspired by a 10th century Chinese monk named Budai, symbolizes joy, abundance and good fortune.

Buddha in his form of Sambhogakaya, or "Body of Heavenly Glory".

From the temple, a tunnel leads behind the mountain into a cirque, where "impatient" turtles await passing visitors...

In this enclosure, the turtles bask and if hunger strikes, they come to enjoy spinach shoots offered by visitors.

It's bickering in the canteen...  

Several species coexist in this artificial environment: Malaysian giant turtles, black marsh turtles, Asian box turtles, and red-eared sliders. Initiatives are regularly put in place to preserve these turtles, often in poor health.

Small consolation for these turtles, facing them stands a magnificent pagoda in an equally superb setting.

Detail of a taro leaf (Colocasia esculenta), known as "elephant ear" due to the size and shape of its large leaves.

Back in the temple.

Let's move on to the next temple.

The temple can occupy children with its two small rides...  

Cáishén (Cái Bó Xing Jun), a major deity of the Taoist pantheon. Known as the civil god of wealth, he is responsible for distributing fortune and overseeing the "Celestial Ministry of Wealth". Devotees pray to him for promotions, salary increases, luck in business, and a general and legitimate increase in their fortune.  

Back outside in front of Sun Wùkong, the famous Monkey King of Chinese mythology, emblematic figure of the novel "Journey to the West". Born from a stone egg, he acquires magical powers, including 72 transformations, and challenges celestial authorities before being imprisoned by Buddha. After 500 years, he is released by the monk Tang Sanzang, whom he protects during their quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from India. His journey, punctuated by trials, leads him to Buddhahood.

Shou Xing, god of longevity, accompanied by a unicorn cow with human teeth???  

And here is the third temple, Ling Sen Tong!

After the turtles, it is the macaques who freely enjoy the aisles of the temple...

Incense spirals accompanied by a prayer on the red label.

The Buddha adorned with the swastika symbol on his chest, an ancestral symbol not to be confused with the inverted and hijacked one of the Nazis.  

The Buddha lying on his right side, head resting on his hand, does not symbolize sleep, but the end of Siddhartha Gautama's life with his entry into parinirvana, the state of complete liberation from the cycle of reincarnations (samsara) and suffering (dukkha). Buddha reached at the end of his earthly life at the age of 80.

The crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) triumphant facing its territory...  

Part of the temple is undergoing restoration.

After the unicorn cow, here is a simple camel as normal as can be.  

And that's it for Sam Poh Tong! We have had our fill of temples! But not caves! We are heading to Gua Tempurung, a "real" cave 30 minutes away!

Here we are at Gua Tempurung, a natural cave whose name means "Coconut Shell Cave" in reference to its rounded domes. It is possible to discover the cave in a "speleology" way, but alas, it is too late for that. We will therefore settle for a simple walk of barely an hour on the classic circuit. But it may only be a postponement!  

Inside, water rich in limestone sculpted stalactites falling from the ceiling, and stalagmites rising from the ground. When the two forms meet, columns appear. Draperies formed by water flowing over the walls complete the whole.

Stairs descend to the starting point of the "wet" part which is done with helmet and headlamp... It might be our turn in a few days if we pass by there again!

For us, it's a U-turn to return to the exit.

Back in Ipoh itself, at Kellie's Castle. This mansion built in the early 20th century by a Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith. His death at 56 put a stop to the construction of the castle, which his wife Agnes, in debt, could never finish.

Ghost stories are also at the heart of the legend of Kellie's Castle, and that is what attracts many visitors in search of thrills...  

The architecture mixes Moorish, Anglo-Indian and Roman styles.

In the tower.

The roof terrace.

The pretty view of the mountains of Ipoh.

Return to the apartment where clouds cover the city.

The building's swimming pool. Quick, it will close and everyone is gone. The guardian gives us 10 minutes!

Dinner in a restaurant a few minutes from the apartment. Tomorrow, we hit the road again and leave Ipoh to join the island of Penang!