The 131-year-old heritage, Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang was engulfed in a huge fire back in October with an estimated 70% of damage reported. Sadly, the temple was on fire again on Friday midnight (4 February).
A Facebook page, known as Penang Holiao 槟城好料 shared multiple pictures of the fire that took place in the temple around 12.30am, next to the enormous 30.2m-tall bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin). Fortunately, the fire was minor as only a table used for prayer items was ablaze and the firefighters were immediately at the scene to put out the fire.
Paya Terubong Fire and Rescue Department operations officer, Shahril Anuar Mawarday said that the fire was brought under control at 12.56am and was completely put out about 10 minutes later. No injuries, deaths, or structural damage were reported during the incident. The surroundings, however, suffered only minimal damage.
Despite the fire, the yearly Chinese New Year display of 10,000 traditional Chinese lantern lights at Kek Lok Si, which is expected to go on until 28 February will still proceed according to Facebook page George Town, Penang.
The Kek Lok Si Temple is one of the finest and largest temples within the South East Asian region. The temple, which was built in 1891 is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in Penang and is considered a one-of-a-kind cultural treasure, with Mahayana Buddhism and ancient Chinese rites blending into a beautiful whole.
Also read: 130-Year-Old Kek Lok Si Temple In Penang Engulfed In Huge Flames
