|
A popular place of interest
in Melaka is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple which was built
in 1646 by Kapitan China Lee Wei King to commemorate the
arrival of Admiral Cheng Ho on his very first visit to
this historical town. Admiral Cheng Ho was the Ming
emperor's ambassador. Its name means the Temple of the
Evergreen Clouds and this grand temple has the
distinction of being the oldest temple in Malaysia
whereby its ceremonial mast can be seen rising above the
surrounding old houses that are located nearby.
Visitors have to walk
through massive hardwood doors to get into the temple.
One main attraction here are the mythical Chinese
creatures that are made from broken glass and porcelain
which can be seen on the roof of the temple. Just as
colorful and ornate inside are the main prayer has three
altars which led to the belief of three doctrines of
Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. The design of the
temple was based on the southern Chinese design to pay
respect to the San Y Chiao. One important aspect about
this temple is that the materials and the artisans were
all brought in from China.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
|