The Lao Zi temple is otherwise known as the Dragon Temple and is one of the must-see tourist hot-spots on a visit to Kuantan. The Lao Zi temple is located on Jalan Sungai Lembing, about 13km from Kuantan town. It is accessible by taking Jalan Bukit Ubi from Kuantan town, crossing the Indera Mahkota junction, and proceeding onto Jalan Sungai Lembing.
The entrance to the temple is barely noticeable on the left hand side of the main road. There is just one small sign. As long as you have your Maps & Navigation app and drive slowly, you should be fine.
Upon arriving at the Lao Zi Temple, we were greeted by absolute silence which pounded our eardrums. The scene was set for a reverential journey through the dragon.
The whole journey starts at the dragon's tail and continues twisting and turning for 823 metres - reputed to be the longest man-made dragon in the world.
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| A quick tip: there was no-one at the entrance booth but we ended up paying the entrance fee at the end when we came out of the dragon's mouth. |
The yellow walls on the interior shone brightly in the dazzling sun as we made our way through the tunnels of the Lao Zi temple constituting the dragon's body
Words of Taoist scripture were displayed periodically along the walls of the Lao Zi temple
Since our first visit back in 2010, the dragon has been updated considerably. It has a new coat of golden paint, and lovely pictures on the interior.
Trees towered above the dragon...
...as well as a somewhat stony walkway...
After a long journey under the sun, over stony ground and with the looming danger of hanging durians, we eventually arrived at the end of the pilgrimage - by exiting out of the dragon's mouth!
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| The freshly painted golden dragon's mouth in September 2014 |
Upon reaching the destination, we were met by a beautiful plaza decorated with statues, ponds and flowers. A dozing Rottweiler did alert our senses, particularly as we were the only visitors there, but thankfully it didn't pose any threat. It turns out that the Lao Zi temple is more than just an 823-meter long dragon!
A mosquito-infested flower nursery drew our attention...
...and Lauren's too
We then took a rest with the Lao Zi temple owner in the actual temple which is located on a hill above the entrance at the dragon's tail. He allowed me to take a picture inside.
The 'dragon' theme is prevalent in the vast majority of Buddhist and Taoist architecture
We did find a toilet sign that seemed to lead to nowhere. Luckily our bladders were not full...
We enjoyed being here and would recommend this Lao Zi Temple to all who may be around Kuantan.
As the car engine cracked the profound silence of the atmosphere, and we made our way out of the Lao Zi Temple grounds, I knew that very soon we would return to all the familiar noises and hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Silence is, apparently, golden, and we sure have golden memories of our time spent here in the middle of the forest at the beautiful venue of the Lao Zi temple, alongside the longest man-made dragon in the world.
In 2009 I posted a lengthy and detailed document on Galileo Galilei, the great astronomer of the renaissance. Unfortunately, despite receiving many page views, this article has just one comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Galileo and this important time in history!
