Sam Poh Tong Temple
Sam Poh Tong Temple 三寶洞 | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Buddhism |
Location | |
Location | Ipoh |
State | Perak |
Country | Malaysia |
Geographic coordinates | 4°33′49.429″N 101°6′55.464″E / 4.56373028°N 101.11540667°ECoordinates: 4°33′49.429″N 101°6′55.464″E / 4.56373028°N 101.11540667°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Chinese temple |
Date established | 1950[1] |
The Sam Poh Tong Temple (Chinese: 三寶洞) (also known as the Three Buddhas Cave)[2] is a Chinese temple built within a limestone cave and is the oldest and the main cave temple in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.[3] The temple was built in a raw limestone cave in the mountains located about 5 km from the city centre and follows the Buddhist branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism.[2][4]
History[]
The cave which now became the temple gateway was founded by a monk from China in 1890 who walked through the area from Ipoh.[1] The monk then decided to make the cave as his home and a place for meditation where he remained there until the end of his life. This was then continued by other monks and nuns who dedicated their lives to Buddha where a temple was then constructed in the 1950s.[1][2]
Features[]
From a steep climb of 246 steps to the cave opening, visitors can view the city of Ipoh and its surroundings.[1] It is the largest cave temple in Malaysia and contains art work such as a reclining Buddha figure.[3] The temple also offers visitors the opportunity to feed fish and feed or release turtles into its turtle pond as a means of balancing one's karma.[2][3][4][5]
The temple in 1910, photograph taken by Charles J. Kleingrothe.
Buddha statue.
Chinese dragon inside the cave temple
Reclining Buddha outside the temple compound.
The temple garden.
The temple wall.
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Sam Poh Tong Temple". Malaysia Travel. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Holley Moyes (15 April 2012). Sacred Darkness: A Global Perspective on the Ritual Use of Caves. University Press of Colorado. pp. 332–338. ISBN 978-1-60732-178-1.
- ^ a b c Chris Wotton (1 October 2012). "24 hours in Ipoh". Asian Correspondent. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ a b Karl-Heinz Reger; Nelles Verlag Staff (1997). Malaysia - Singapore - Brunei. Nelles Verlag. pp. 73–. ISBN 978-3-88618-902-1.
- ^ Simon Richmond (2010). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Lonely Planet. pp. 156–. ISBN 978-1-74104-887-2.
External links[]
- Media related to Sam Poh Tong Temple at Wikimedia Commons
Sam Poh Tong Other Social Sam Poh Tong Picture Sam Poh Tong Website
- Religious buildings and structures completed in 1950
- Chinese-Malaysian culture
- Buddhist temples in Malaysia
- Buildings and structures in Ipoh
- Religious buildings and structures in Perak
- Tourist attractions in Perak
- Limestone caves
- 20th-century Buddhist temples