Panorama of the Week: Chinese Temple in Penang, Malaysia
Filed Under: Panorama by Daniel Noll and Audrey ScottWith Chinese New Year coming later this week, we figured a panorama taken from inside Khoo Kongsi Temple, one of the grandest Chinese clan temples in Penang (and all of Malaysia for that matter), would be a good way to kick off the new year.
“Chinese temples in Malaysia?” you ask. Yes, Malaysia sports a fascinating history of immigration, including its ethnic Chinese population, whose numbers are second only to that of the country’s ethnic native Malays.
So with this image and nugget of trivia, we wish you a very happy year of the rabbit, a sign known for peace and harmony. Heaven knows we could all use a little more of this in the world…and our lives.
Panorama: Inside the Khoo Kongsi Temple in Penang, Malaysia
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
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January 31st, 2011 at 4:51 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Christine Gilbert, East22Travel. East22Travel said: Panorama of the Week: Chinese Temple in Penang, Malaysia http://bit.ly/f83y5Y (#travel) [...]
January 31st, 2011 at 10:46 am
Happy Chinese New Year or Gong Xi Fa Cai! Lovely panarama!
We’re happy to be in Penang for this winter & Chinese New Year and my 83 year old mom is with us so makes it extra special ( also because our 10 year old is in an all Mandarin school here as the only Caucasian kid, so another way to experience the Chinese culture here).
Are you in Penang now or headed back this way again?
January 31st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@soultravelers: Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family as well! Must be quite nice having your mother with you this year. We actually took this panorama the last time we were in Penang in 2008. Just bringing it out for the New Year
We will be headed to Kuala Lumpur, but not sure about whether we’ll be stopping off in Penang.
January 31st, 2011 at 11:58 am
I have only seen a few temples in Hong Kong while I was waiting for my connecting flight, but that was nothing like this one. Looks amazing! And Happy Chinese New Year
January 31st, 2011 at 10:00 pm
It is amazing! I can’t even imagine how breath taking it must be to see in person.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:09 pm
@Tijmen: I haven’t been yet to Hong Kong, so I have no idea how the temples compare. What I really enjoyed about this temple was the detail in the paintings on the wall and the intricate artwork everywhere. Happy Chinese New Year to you as well!
@Dave: Glad you enjoyed this! And yes, the detail inside was impressive.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:37 pm
ohhh ive been to this temple. it’s even more fascinating once you’re inside it.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Happy Chinese New Year!!!
January 31st, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@Prime: Yes, it’s a lovely temple. If you open up the panorama above, you’ll be inside to enjoy it all over again!
@Andi: Happy Chinese New Year to you as well! It’s going to be an exciting year for you!
January 31st, 2011 at 11:43 pm
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January 31st, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Nice! I’ve only been to Penang once when I was a kid and I do remember visiting a lot of Chinese temples especially the one that housed snakes in it but I forgot the name since it’s been so long for me. Thanks for the lovely panorama. Brings back good memories!
February 1st, 2011 at 12:31 am
Good panorama pic. I guess you guys went earling in the morning because the temple is empty (with the exception of what looks like a security guard).
February 1st, 2011 at 1:41 am
@Michelle: Glad this panorama brought back good memories from your visit as a kid! We didn’t make it to the temple with all the snakes – will have to check it out next time we visit.
@Ruth: Thanks! Our visit was actually in the afternoon (3 PM), so we had to wait about 20 minutes for a break between visitors to photograph it quickly. If there are lots of moving people around the panoramas become more difficult to stitch and have more “ghosts.” Fortunately, the security guard was friendly and closed the door for us as the bright sunshine from the open doors threw off the lighting (white out).
February 1st, 2011 at 2:04 am
loving these panoramas you are doing now. Doubt I have the tech ability to do them, but they are great!
February 1st, 2011 at 5:58 am
@Michael: With the right hardware & software, it’s really not as hard as it looks. That’s why I’m wondering whether I should finish the half-written draft tutorial on how to so this…don’t want to give away all our secrets
February 1st, 2011 at 6:26 am
@Audrey you should definately publish that tutorial. This is a killer photo/panorama to have on your blog. The temple looks stunning. For a second you feel almost like beeing inside.
February 1st, 2011 at 6:50 am
@Dan: Maybe I should get to finishing that tutorial. We post a panorama like this every Monday from somewhere along our journey around the world. So, keep checking back to see more like this! And, you can see previous panoramas here: http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/category/photography/panorama/
February 4th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Love the panorama. Yes, please do post a tutorial because we have been considering adding a feature like this to our site on our weekly photos (not that we want to copy your blog . . . oh what the heck, of course we want to copy your blog!). I’d love to try it once.
February 4th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Daniel and Audrey, you’ve done it once again! One of my favorite spots in Malaysia, Penang; and one of the best places in Penang to see culture, the Khoo Kongsi Temple. I haven’t been there in three years now, and I really miss the place. Thanks for bringing back the memories…
February 6th, 2011 at 1:03 am
@Akila: I was laughing reading your comment. Well, they say that immitation is the best form of flattery, right? Guess I better resurrect that draft post…
February 6th, 2011 at 1:05 am
@The Chile Doctor: Penang is quite a fascinating place because of the mixture of cultures and vast history of being a trading area. And, don’t get me started about the food! Glad this panorama brought back good memories.
February 14th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
I also come back to check if u already have the tutorial… and oh, in Malaysia already! are u considering to hop over Philippines next? I’ll be happy to host u in Manila.
February 15th, 2011 at 8:26 am
@Lilliane: Although this panorama is from a couple of years ago, we are actually in Malaysia right now (Kuala Lumpur). We’re still figuring out our Asia plans, but know that we will visit Bangladesh soon. The Philippines keeps coming up a lot, so we’ll let you know if we head your way. Thanks for your offer to host us!