From the garden of our house, there is another captivating sight, the Kek Lok Si temple complex, which lies in close proximity. This temple serves as a place of worship and stands as a prominent tourist attraction, renowned in international travel circles since my childhood. Back then, I didn't pay much attention to this place, as both the garden and the temple were beyond my understanding.

I recollect the days when I used to play among the boulders with the Air Itam River flowing underneath, just below the temple compound. I frequented this location so often that it felt like an extension of my backyard. As time passed, my connection with the temple didn't remain in the distant past. In 1982, the temple initiated a strategy to illuminate its buildings for the Chinese New Year celebration. This special event transformed the temple into a colorful spectacle at night, piquing my curiosity and prompting me to visit. From that moment on, I sought vantage points among the hill slopes facing the temple to capture better nighttime photographs. Every year during the Chinese New Year season, I revisited familiar locations while also scouting for new ones to enhance my views, as I was unsatisfied with my previous compositions.

Years later, a friend expressed interest in creating a story about the history of Kek Lok Si. This idea resonated with me and aligned with my goal of learning more about the history of Penang. I delved into the internet, collecting morsels of information to piece together the temple's history. As I progressed, my desire for more detailed knowledge grew. Typically, the more we learn about a subject, the more questions arise. The initial findings were quite general and fell short of what I envisioned for creating a comprehensive and meaningful story.

Over time, my investigation deepened, and I found satisfaction in my understanding of the temple's origins. I was particularly intrigued by the temple's establishment and early history. Then came the period of constructing the Pagoda, which I believed marked the completion of the temple grounds. However, the Second World War intervened. Post-war, the process of modernization began in Georgetown, which had implications for the temple. In the 1980s, a new project emerged—the installation of the first Quan Yin Statue. It encountered some setbacks and was subsequently replaced by a second statue.

When I finally compiled my story, I sensed that something was missing in my narrative. To address this concern, I decided to contemporize the theme by incorporating our own interactions with the temple. You can view my photographs and read the complete compilation by clicking on this link to my picture page.