Thean Hou Temple

Thean Hou Temple is one of the largest and most photogenic Chinese temples in South East Asia, set on Robson Heights in Seputeh, just south of the city centre. It was built between 1981 and 1987 at a cost of about RM7 million and officially opened on 3 September 1989. The temple belongs to the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association, and like many Malaysian Chinese temples it blends Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

The main deity is Tian Hou, also known as Mazu, the sea goddess revered by seafaring communities across southern China. Her statue stands at the centre of the main altar, flanked by Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, on the right and Shui Wei Sheng Niang, the Goddess of the Waterfront, on the left. The prayer hall sits on the upper level of the six-tiered building, which overlooks Jalan Syed Putra and the city beyond. Visitors often try the kau cim fortune sticks in the hall, and a statue of Yue Lao, the deity of marriage, is popular with couples and people hoping to find a partner.

Around the temple are gardens worth a slow walk. Statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac line one area, and a Guan Yin statue stands among rocks and falling water. There is also a Chinese medicinal herb garden, a wishing well and a tortoise pond. On the ground floor are souvenir stalls and a canteen. The temple also offers marriage registration, so you may see wedding parties on photo shoots, and it runs classes in qigong, tai chi and wushu.

The temple is busiest around Chinese New Year, when it draws tens of thousands of visitors, and during the birthday celebrations of its three goddesses and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Those are colourful times to visit but crowded; for quiet photographs go on a weekday morning. Allow about an hour. Dress respectfully and keep voices down in the prayer hall, which remains an active place of worship.

Thean Hou sits on a hill off Jalan Syed Putra, reached via Persiaran Endah and Jalan Robson. The approach is steep, so most visitors arrive by taxi or ride-hailing car, which can drop you close to the gateway; walking up from the nearest rail station is possible but hot and uphill. The temple is a short drive from Brickfields, KL Sentral and Mid Valley, so it combines well with an afternoon in those areas.