Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple

Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (3 January 2024)


Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (GPS: 5.3642, 100.4609) is the most important Chinese temple in Bukit Mertajam. Itis located on Jalan Pasar in the heart of town. Its official name, as seen on the plaque at the top of the temple, is 玄天廟 (Pinyin: Xuán Tiān Miào). The temple is also known locally as Pek Kong Cheng Tua Pek Kong Temple (Simplified Chinese: 伯公埕大伯公庙; Traditional Chinese: 伯公埕大伯公廟). Its official name is the Bukit Mertajam Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple 福德正神廟.

The principal deity at the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple is Xuan Wu 玄武, or Mysterious Warrior, who is also called Xuántiān Shàngdì (玄天上帝). Nevertheless it is the Tua Pek Kong, or the Taoist god of prosperity, whose shrine is to the left of Xuan Wu's, that gains prominence, and the temple is colloquially referred to after him.

It was indeed for the veneration of the Tua Pek Kong, known in Hakka as Thai Pak Kong, that the temple was established in 1879 by Hakka settlers. It was only renamed to Xuan Tian Miao in 1886 when a new principal deity, the Xuántiān Shàngdì, was installed there, alongside two sub-deities, Tán Gōng Yé (譚公爺) and existing Tai Pak Kong. Community activities revolved around the temple, from where the town of Bukit Mertajam gradually developed.

In 1895, the temple established Yi Xue Tang, an educational institution to lift the community and preserve Chinese culture.² This evolved to be the Jit Sin Primary School in 1918, but the foundation stellae of the still is still within the temple premises.

Feast days at the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple centre on the birthdays of its deities. The Tua Pek Kong has his birthday celebrated twice, on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month and also on the 8th lunar month, while the Xuan Tian Shang Di has his on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. Feast day celebrating the birthday of Tam Gong Ya is on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month.

On 3 July 2019, the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple suffered severe damage when a fire that started at the adjacent food court at 8:40pm spread to it.³ No death or injury was reported⁴, but almost everything was destroyed, with only charred wooden pillars and roof beams left standing. Images of the three deities were also destroyed in the fire.⁵

Fortunately, plans were already in place since 2015 for the temple to embark on a restoration work, with detailed documentation of all the images and temple dimensions. This proved useful when the temple was rebuilt. The three original walls and two granite pillars of the temple were retained. Local architects worked alongside artisans from China. The hawker centre adjacent to the temple was also upgraded with two new blocks of commercial shoplots and a covered walkway.

The rebuilt Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple reopened to the public on 8 October 2022, while the official opening was done on 16 October of that year.

The new granite archway of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (3 January 2024)


Outer courtyard of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (3 January 2024)


The new plaque of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple. It read Xuán Tiān Miào and is the entrance to the altar of Xuántiān Shàngdì. (3 January 2024)


The left side entrance at the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple for the Tua Pek Kong altar. (3 January 2024)


The right side entrance of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple for the Tán Gōng Yé altar. (3 January 2024)


Stellae commemorating historical events at Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (3 January 2024)


Prayer hall of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple, with the altar to Tua Pek Kong on the left, Xuántiān Shàngdì at the centre, and Tán Gōng Yé on the right. (3 January 2024)

The temple before the fire

Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (10 December 2016)


Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (10 December 2016)


Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (10 December 2016)


Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (10 December 2016)


Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (23 August 2008)


Right within the compound of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple is a hawker centre. It is popular for a number of hawker food including the wantan mee, koay teow thng and laksa.

The Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple has gone a long way from the time it was just a humble shrine. Today it is a brick structure with curving roof ridge. The eaves point upwards and a pair of dragons face each other on the ridge with a fire orb in the middle. The front porch is supported by two blue-coloured dragon pillars. The dragons here are green in colour.

The door god of Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple (23 August 2008)


The front façade of Pek Kong Cheng has three doorways flanked by red couplets bearing gold inscriptions. In between, on the transoms and doorframes are murals showing scenes of Taoist mythology. Franking the main doorway is a pair of round windows with intricate sculpturework. The doors bear images of door gods. These are only visible upon entering the temple.

Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple main prayer hall (23 August 2008)


The main prayer hall is separated from the front entrance by an airwell. It emits light to provide some illumination to the altar. Behind the altar are the shrines where images of the deities are installed. As in a typical Chinese temple, there are three alcove shrines, with the middle one dedicated to the principal deity of the temple. Interestingly, the shrine to Tua Pek Kong is on the left side and not the centre.

Going to the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple

The Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple faces Jalan Pasar, near the junction with Danby Road. The nearest bus stop is on Jalan Muthu Palaniappan , about 5-10 minutes' walk away. It is served by Rapid Penang bus 701, 702, 709 and 802.

Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple, before the fire (10 December 2016)


Compound of the Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple with hawker stalls (23 August 2008)

Bukit Mertajam Tua Pek Kong Temple is on the Map of Jalan Pasar, Bukit Mertajam

References

List of Tua Pek Kong Temples in Penang, Chinese Temples in Penang and Chinese Temples in Malaysia