We visited Yeoh Kongsi and Yap Kongsi by sheer chance while looking for Khoo Kongsi. It was funny that we weren’t really know what Khoo Kongsi is but since it’s a renowned attraction in Penang, we decided to find out what it is.

Along the way looking for Khoo Kongsi, we were attracted by several Chinese temples. We visited the temples abruptly with very little knowledge about them. It’s called on-the-spot-spontaneous investigation. It’s not that I’m not familiar with Chinese temples, but these temples just look different. They are not opened to public to pray.

After the lecture by a Singh couple in Yeoh Kongsi, we finally revealed the secret of temple look-alike temples.

<Source from Wikipedia>

Kongsi (Chinese: 公司; pinyin: gōngsī) or “clan halls”, are benevolent organizations of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname. This type of social practice arose, it is held, several centuries ago in China. The Chinese word Kongsi is used in modern Chinese to mean a commercial “company“.

The system of kongsi was utilized by Chinese throughout the diaspora to overcome economic difficulty, social ostracism, and oppression. In today’s overseas Chinese communities throughout the world, this approach has been adapted to the modern environment, including political and legal factors. The kongsi is similar to modern business partnerships, but also draws on a deeper spirit of cooperation and consideration of mutual welfare.

~*~*~*~

So technically we can still call it temple, but it’s the place to pray the ancentors, not the place for public to pray for 4D numbers their own wishes.

After visited Yeoh Kongsi, we passed by Yap Kongsi before meeting up with Khoo ancestors. Yap Kongsi is located along Lebuh Armenian, within the George Town Heritage Enclave and the core zone of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site.

Yap Kongsi in green ~ it underwent a restoration in 1998 at a cost of close to RM300,000. Previously it was in white color.

Next to Yap Kongsi is the Choo Chay Keong Temple, which houses the altar to the Yap patron deity, Hoay Che Chun Wang.

The pillars in the temple are delicately carved with curling dragons.

The sculptures on the wall are equally magnificent showcase the style of Chinese Dynasty.

Furnace for joss paper. Even the furnace was decorated with Chien Nien ornamentation. Chien Nien means ‘cut and paste’ which involves gluing colourful porcelain shards to create decorative. Joss paper is also known as spirit money or ghost money. They are burned in traditional Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies during special holidays.

Guardian lions and the pa qua (八卦)

Chinese guardian lions, also called Fu (Foo) Lions, lions of Buddha, or sometimes stone lions (石獅) are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China, which is believed to have powerful mythic protective powers that has traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, temples, emperors’ tombs, government offices, and the homes of government officials ~ Source from wikipedia.

So funny, I never bother to visit Chinese temples until I started blogging that I just don’t wanna miss anything include the the things/places that used to be boring to me. The power of blogging.

.: You may also want to visit my trips to Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion and Yeoh Kongsi in Penang :.