Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple

Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (GPS: 5.07589, 100.38496) is the biggest Chinese temple in the fishing village of Tanjung Piandang, in northern Perak. If you go to Tanjung Piandang, you will surely see this temple, as it is located where the main road (known locally as Jalan Pantai) forms a sharp cornering.

The Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple is known as 真君大帝古廟 (Zhēnjūn Dàdì Gǔmiào), which translates as the Great Zhenjun Temple. It was completed some time in 2015.

The cemented courtyard is beautified with willow trees, which provide greenery to the surroundings. The façade of the temple is finished with ornately carved granite. Though they appear grey, it is contrasted with the vermillion and crimson of the temple roof. The roof is embellished with colorful figurines, of dragons, mystical beasts and legendary figures. At the time of my visit, everything was still brand new.

Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


The beautifully embellished roof of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Tiny chien1nien2 (broken shards) figurines decorate the roof of the temple (29 August, 2015)


The curved roof ridges are busy with pairs of dragon facing the decanter, the pagoda and the shining orb. (29 August, 2015)


The pairs of dragon face toward the decanter. (29 August, 2015)


The ridge in front of the dragons is a row of horsemen riding lions, tigers, unicorns and other beasts. (29 August, 2015)


The ceiling of the prayer pavilion, which is in front of the main door into the main prayer hall, is festooned with hundreds of small lanterns. As you enter the main door, you will see an airwell separating the door from the prayer hall. Looking up, you see that the trusses, crossbeams and brackets are all ornately embellished with murals.

The prayer pavilion in front of the temple has hundreds of lanterns on its ceiling (29 August, 2015)


The main door into the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


The air well of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Murals embellishing the ceiling and beams of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Murals embellishing the ceiling and beams of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Turn around and look at the door, and you see that they are all embellished with giant-size door gods. Some appear benevolent, like elderly gentlemen, while others appear to be menacing warriors.

A Door God of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Another Door God of the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


Notice this is the same door god as the one above, only a mirror image. (29 August, 2015)


A menacing door god. (29 August, 2015)


Another menacing door god. (29 August, 2015)


Finally we arrive at the cavernous prayer hall. Deities of the temple are installed in three alcoves, the principal deity in the main alcove, flanked by auxiliary deities to its right and left. Before these are altar tables and offering tables, with knee stools for devotees to kneel before the deities. Four granite dragon columns hold up the ceiling of the prayer hall.

The prayer hall of Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple (29 August, 2015)


The walls on both sides of the prayer hall are similarly embellished with coloured relief work depicting various religious scenes.

The wall of the prayer hall (29 August, 2015)


View of the roof ornamentation from the air well. (29 August, 2015)


As we explored the courtyard of the temple, we found so much still to see. There is an ornate granite dragon holding an orb in its mouth. Standing on the "swallow tail" of the ridge are mystical birds (possibly phoenix or bird of paradise).

Granite dragon with orb in its mouth. (29 August, 2015)


A bird on the roof, sort of. (29 August, 2015)

360° View of Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple on Google Maps Street View

In the Google Street View of Dec 2013, the Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple was still under construction.

Tanjung Piandang Chinese Temple is on the Map of Tanjung Piandang

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