The Sam Poh Tong Temple ( zh, 三寶洞) (also known as the Three Buddhas Cave) is a

Chinese temple Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' miào'' () or ''d ...

built within a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cave and is the oldest and the main cave temple in Ipoh, Perak,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The temple was built in a raw limestone cave in the mountains located about 5 km from the city centre and follows the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

branch of

Mahāyāna Buddhism ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...

History

The cave which now became the temple gateway was founded by a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

from China in 1890 who walked through the area from Ipoh. The monk then decided to make the cave as his home and a place for meditation where he remained there until the end of his life. This was then continued by other monks and nuns who dedicated their lives to

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

where a temple was then constructed in the 1950s.

Features

From a steep climb of 246 steps to the cave opening, visitors can view the city of Ipoh and its surroundings. It is the largest cave temple in Malaysia and contains art work such as a

reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his hea ...

figure. The temple also offers visitors the opportunity to feed fish and feed or release turtles into its turtle pond as a means of balancing one's

karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

. File:KITLV - 79990 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Chinese temples in Ipoh, Malaysia - circa 1910.tif, The temple in 1910, photograph taken by Charles J. Kleingrothe. File:Sam Poh Tong Temple,Ipoh.jpg,

statue. File:In the cave temple 1.png,

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most ...

inside the cave temple File:Sleeping Buddha outside the temple.png,

Reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his hea ...

outside the temple compound. File:SAM POH TONG LOKE 399.jpg, The temple garden. File:Sam Poh Temple 5.jpg, The temple wall.

References

External links

* {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites Religious buildings and structures completed in 1950 Chinese-Malaysian culture Buddhist temples in Malaysia Buildings and structures in Ipoh Religious buildings and structures in Perak Tourist attractions in Perak Limestone caves 20th-century Buddhist temples 20th-century architecture in Malaysia