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Kek Lok Si - Monastery on Crane Hill

Ayer Itam, Georgetown, Penang Island, Malaysia
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Ranked #3 of 32 attractions in Georgetown
Type: Religious Sites, Architectural Buildings
400 visitor photos
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551 reviews from our community

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Sydney, Australia
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
22 attraction reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013 NEW

Kek Lok Si Temple crowns a peak on the outskirts of Georgetown.Built in homage to the Great Buddha,Quan Yin, its prayer halls sit majestically surrounded by blooming tropical floras. Passing through their portals until the summit is reached, one is then able to gaze out for miles over Penang, towards the blue glistening waters of the Malay Straits. A towering... More

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See 15 more reviews by Ann H for Georgetown
Auckland Region, New Zealand
Senior Contributor
37 reviews 37 reviews
21 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013 NEW

Ken Lok Si is an amazing place to visit. Yes, as everyone mentions, there are a lot of souvenir shops but you can either buy something or just ignore them. Nobody is pushy or anything. The temple, prayer room, and pagoda are amazing - so much to see and contemplate - and the ten thousand buddhas is magical. Take our... More

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See 4 more reviews by filmchick81 for Georgetown
Ernakulam
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013 NEW

Dont be put off by the walk thru all the stalls and soem pretty filthy surroundings, but what on top of the hill is worth it. you have nice temples which really capture the essence.Buddhisim, how they worship , how they make their wishes. The ride in the cable car up the slope was a nice diversion. The giant statue... More

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See 3 more reviews by Ettumurri for Georgetown
Kulim, Malaysia
1 review
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013 NEW

It takes within a day for us to go through the whole area of Kek Lok Si. You left no choice but to walk, because there will be stairs for you to climb up. I would say, it is not easy to climb up.. We walked from the bottom to the upstairs of the Kek Lok Si. As a youngster,... More

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Diss, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 May 2013 NEW

So much to see here from the giant Kuan yin statue at the top to the pagoda at the bottom. One tip - buy items at the shops at the bottom as the prices get lower the further down you go! Even the tiles you can dedicate are cheaper at the bottom eg 50 ringgit at the top and 30... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Albany, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 May 2013 NEW

We travelled here via local buses -a lengthy process -and I am not sure we felt it justified the effort. Although the architecture is attractive I was distracted by all the retail outlets which seemed to mask any spiritual ambience. The view is nice - but not as spectacular as the outlook from Penang Hill.

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See 3 more reviews by EmLiz73 for Georgetown
Chicago, Illinois
2 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2013

The authentic religious and cultural aspsects of this site cannot be exaggerated. It is grand, intricate and stunning. However, there are two negative aspects as I see them. First, there are many unauthentic things whitewashing the grounds which detract from the impression that it can leave on you. This is by no means an excuse not to visit. Second, there... More

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Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
17 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

The biggest temple in Malaysia, and was nice to wonder around and see all the temples and images of Budha etc. nice little cable car will take you from the pagoda level to the large statue. The big negative was the shops, in their place they are ok but inside the temples dosn't seem right.

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See 10 more reviews by bycostello for Georgetown
Perth, Australia
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
16 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2013

Be warned, it's VERY commercialised everywhere! Little stalls selling all sorts of rubbishy things, but it still didn't stop us from paying RM1 for a "good wishes" ribbon to hang on a tree. Optimists!

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See 6 more reviews by PoliPerth for Georgetown
Penang Island, Malaysia
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 May 2013

A tradisional temple for the Buddhist. People can find peace there with the huge solemn buddha. The views there are awsome and beautiful. Don't foeget to grab some pictures there! The temple will come to peak during Chinese New Year season, because it will light up all the bulbs. The views will become extreme during the 15 days of CNY.... More

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