Standing in high places

A few weeks ago after we went to Fie's university, we decided to visit an alluring Buddhist Temple which sits atop a hill just off the motorway close to Gambang. We had passed it many times before wondering what it would be like to visit, so today we went for it. Driving along a tiny dirt-ridden road with chickens and turkeys strutting around was slow progress, but soon we came to the clearing.

It is identifiable by its many red and yellow steps, which invoked a few memories of the Batu Caves in KL and the hard work it took to climb to the top. We didn't fancy the strenuous climb so we drove up to the temple itself by the steep road around the edge of the monument.

I did go half-way down the steps later to get a couple of pictures:

I particularly enjoyed this view. You can't see the temple at all when you stand at the bottom of the stairs. But gradually as you climb, more of the temple comes into view until the majestic structure stands before you.

And the view from the top is pretty impressive too. The woman who worked there told us that on clearer days, Pekan and Kuantan are easily visible amidst the jungles which seem to stretch forever.

This is a sacred shrine for Buddhists and so we were naturally quiet as we looked around and talked in hushed tones too, much like in a Latter-day Saint temple or any other religious holy site I have visited. The theme of dragons was unmistakable in both the first viewing of the temple after driving up the hill, and the subsequent pilgrimage at the interior.

The artwork on display was incredible and we could see that a lot of time and effort had been put in to make this temple exactly how it had been thoughtfully planned.

The exterior corridors were charming too, with nice perspective.