Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Malaysia Ayer Itam Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss)
AO Edited

Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss)

This Buddhist temple on the island of Penang is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

Ayer Itam, Malaysia

Mathias Van de Velde profile photo
Added By
Mathias Van de Velde
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Highlights of the temple’s architecture   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Grand Statue of Buddha   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Buddha statues   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Temple gardens   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Temple gardens   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Highlights of the temple’s architecture   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
The Kuan Yin statue   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
An archway at the temple   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Overlooking the town   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Pagoda   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
The temple from below   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Temple souvenirs   Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Known as the Temple of Supreme Bliss, Kek Lok Si is Malaysia's largest Buddhist temple and is regarded as one of the finest in all of SE Asia.

Built in 1891 at the behest of the Venerable priest Beow Lean, the complex consists of multiple temples, clocktowers, praying halls, and sprawling gardens. Near the entrance, visitors are greeted by a tortoise pond and are stunned by the sheer number of these aquatic animals that call the temple home - it's easily in the hundreds! The temple complex is situated on Huock-san Hill (Crane Hill), in the village of Air Itam - the location was specifically chosen by the Venerable Beow Lean because of its appropriate feng-sui.

The temple's buildings display different Buddhist architectural styles, with influences from Myanmar, Thailand, and China. The temple's most striking and well-known features are a massive statue of Kuan Yin the Goddess of Mercy which stands at around 120-feet tall and the striking 7-story high Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda adorned with nearly 10,000 decorative Buddha statues.

 

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Know Before You Go

The complex is open every day between 07.00 and 18.30.

Entrance is free but using the funicular to get around the complex requires the purchase of a ticket.

Community Contributors

Mathias Van de Velde profile photo

Added By

Mathias Van de Velde

Published

October 12, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Related Tags

Buddha Buddhism Temples
Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss)
86s, Jln Balik Pulau
Ayer Itam
Malaysia
5.399641, 100.273613
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Penang Jewish Cemetery

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 66
Stories 19

Nearby Places

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Penang Jewish Cemetery

George Town, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 66
Stories 19

Related Places

  • Buddhas

    Hong Kong

    Ten Thousand Buddhas ‘Monastery’

    There are over 12,000 Buddha statues at this temple complex that has been mistakenly labeled a monastery.

  • The gilded Buddha image in the main hall appears to float above the reflective flooring

    Tambon Chong Mek, Thailand

    Wat Sirindhorn Phu Phrao

    Hundreds of glow-in-the-dark designs bring a Thai temple to life once the sun has set.

  • Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

  • Funerary stelae and graves from past centuries (note that these are not the Bone Buddhas).

    Osaka, Japan

    Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

    This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

  • Kannon and their thirty-three avatars.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Thirty-Three Avatars of Kannon

    In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

  • The facade of the temple.

    George Town, Malaysia

    Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

    This Theravada Buddhist temple is a peaceful oasis steeped in history.

  • Buddha at Seokguram

    Gyeongju, South Korea

    Seokguram Grotto

    Visiting this grotto is symbolic of a spiritual journey into Nirvana.

  • A worn statue of a Japanese monk picks his nose.

    Kawagoe, Japan

    Five Hundred Arhats

    Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.