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A stone throw away from Nan Tian Tong Temple is yet again another religious abode. And this time, we literally cut across the garden of 南天洞 along a connected pathway.
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Ling Sen Tong is not really a cavern, at least not on the same scale as the others i visited on the same day. The Chinese name would be more appropriate to signify its true background as the character 岩 means rock / cliff.
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The appeal of this attraction has to be the many statues of gods, deities and other characters installed all over the place; providing a fantastic backdrop for obsessive photo-takers! So, be prepared for many pictures in this post!
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Essentially a mixed Chinese temple honouring both Taoism and Buddhism, Ling Sen Tong was set up in 1967 although the current vibrant design is attributed to 1983 when the temple was rebuilt.
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On one side was the legendary flower-fruit mountain (it was somewhat small) where the monkey king resided together with his band of protective primates!
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A relatively scary looking dragon without the majestic aura!
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Datuk Gong - native to Malaysia and Singapore, it actually refers to local guardian spirits and is comparable to the worship of earth god (tu di gong).
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I am foreseeing a serious maintenance problem in time to come! Look at the paint peeling off from the wall and ceiling. I can bet that it would not be long before the management decides to remove the incense coils altogether to prevent further damage to the paintwork.
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It was already 1pm when we arrived at Ling Sen Tong and my stomach was already growling for food to replenish the energy lost in climbing up Nan Tian Tong! Hence, i didn't take as many photographs as i would love to.
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From the second level where you can see my mom seated comfortably in the shade. Honestly, she was actually wondering what time i would finish my exploration!
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God of Fortune! As Chinese New Year is coming, i make a small donation for a red packet that was packed with four numbers! Singaporeans would know the use of these four numbers; shall share the number with all of you at the end of the post.
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Open rooftop that would make a fantastic spot for a barbecue session!
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View where you can find Nan Tian Tong next door and Sam Poh Tong further away. A person who loves to explore temples should reserve around 3-4 hours to check out this stretch that has a total of four temples.
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Four heavenly gods standing their ground, giving one the illusion that they were gigantic guardians defending the temple against any evil beings.
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I did mention they were gigantic, didn't i?
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Down the second level again - please hold on to your kids as the handrails might not necessarily be provided on both sides!
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We had the whole place to ourselves! The perks of travelling on weekdays even though i am still surprised since it was the school holidays for both Malaysia and Singapore.
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See, more statues!
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Dad didn't realise this was the burial ground for the founder of the temple and his wife, and offered to help me take a picture of me standing in front of this "nice" pagoda! Piangz!
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Ground level; albeit the other side.
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Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy; Guanyin who is one of three popular Buddhist figures. The other two being Buddha himself and the Smiling Buddha.
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The tallest statue in Ling Sen Tong; don't think you need to ask me who is she right?
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A memorial plaque dated 1995 narrated the story of the temple, including the beginning, the rebuilding and the completion.
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Step into the main prayer hall and the first thing that caught my eye was the black peeling ceiling!
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Angle of my camera lens seemed to suggest that the statue had fused beautifully with the natural rock, creating an inferno from the stick! Truthfully, i could not remember if it was indeed so.
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Some old pictures placed in the main hall.
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Finally! Humans other than the caretakers and us to liven up the atmosphere in that stifling weather. They were kindergarten kids on a school trip; children nowadays are so blessed!
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Another dog like stone lion!
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As with many temples, Ling Sen Tong also has a wishing well. But what amazed me more was that there were a lot of "chances" for you to wish a wish.
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The "well" was a long stretch of enclosures housing different statues for you to throw coins to your heart's content! That was so bloody considerate!
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To deter thieves, it is necessary to install metal bars. When looking from afar, many of us would have thought they were metal enclosures holding animals!
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Another deterrent using water.
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Sighz, knowing fully well that this was a money making mechanism, i could not resist throwing a few coins to the zodiac animal i belong to; the adorable, mischievous, cheeky, clever monkey!
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Now, here's the 4D number i was given.
Let's buy for the two days. HUAT AH!
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Location
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Gunung Rapat, 31350 Ipoh,
Perak, Malaysia
GPS Location
4°33'58"N 101°6'50"E