Day Trip : Temple Visit (Johor, Malaysia)

23/02/14 – An interesting cultural visit to Chinese temples in Johor, Malaysia, mainly Muar and Batu Pahat. It’s my first weekend trip in 2014 and also my first experience with a trip like this.

It was early Sunday morning around 6.00am, we headed down to Tiong Bahru Plaza and had our hearty breakfast before the tour bus picked us up for the immigration custom. I wondered if the trip is going to be any interesting as the only thing that came to my mind was smoked filled temple halls and perhaps some usual shopping pit-stops for goodies. The trip was initiated by my mother in-law. The idea of visiting a Chinese temple for a weekend getaway is the last thing on my mind and I’m quite surprised at how I made such decision easily. Well in fact, it turned out to be fun indeed! The purpose of the trip is to pay respect to Cai Shen Ye (god of wealth). I was told that his birthday falls on the 23rd day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar. Many devotees would visit the temple around this time of the year, to pray for abundance of wealth and prosperity. I am one of the curious tourists who wish to check out the scenes and also hoping the trip would really bring forth good fortune for me and my family. Here are some pictures.

Our first stop in Johor – tasty vegetarian breakfast with lots of varieties of dishes to pick from. The food were simply divine and appetizing!

It’s an old-school style eatery. There were tows of buses with tourists heading to this same spot for breakfast. This is the usual itinerary for a temple trip. The tour guide told us that the eatery is very popular among the locals and tourists and is rather well-known in Johor, Malaysia. I took a picture of one of the tiles that was decorated along the fences. It’s so retro, nostalgia – a reminiscent of 70s and 80s deco.

Today, we will be visiting 2 Chinese temples. The first stop is Nan2 Ting2 Si4, also famously known as Shan4 Cai2 Ye2 Miao4 in Parit Unas, Muar, Johor. There are many tour buses with devotees from afar, visit this temple, especially during CNY period. I think I am also becoming one of them lah.

The temple was established around 1939 and founded by the late Dato Kor Thian Peng. He is also a temple medium and is the only medium to be conferred a Datoship in Muar, Johor. There is also a road named after him. A primary school is built and operating from the contribution of the temple along with the Sultan’s donation. Even the name of the primary school is derived from the famous deity here. I didn’t take many pictures as it was too crowded and hot which has drained off my photo-taking inspiration for the moment. Here’s a snap-peek though.

As I offered the incenses, I uttered in my mind, “Shan Cai Ye, happy belated birthday. May you be wealthy, healthy and happy always.”

There are also many stalls around the temple site selling fruits, drinks, locally made goodies, souvenirs, jade and crystals. We didn’t really have much time to check out all the stalls and it was also too hot and crowded. Nonetheless, I bought 2 large candles in the shape of a pineapple. “Ong-lai, Ong-lai” in Hokkien that means good fortune comes. Huat ah!!!

The trip comes with 3 meals that includes breakfast, 8-course lunch and dinner. After the temple visit, we stopped by one of the famous stores – Yoyo, for some local goodies. The varieties are typically the usual stuff – coffee, tea, pineapple tarts, groceries, cakes and tidbits. Each stop is about 1 to 2 hours bus ride apart.

Finally we reached another temple – Chong Long Temple in Segenting fishing village, Batu Pahat. Huts are built very closely together and the winding roads leading to the temple are extremely narrow. It seems that if you’re not careful and skillful enough, you may just easily ram into any of the huts. Surely not for the faint-hearted! If you wanna know if your driving skills are up to match then this is a good place to test your skills. LOL

We were told that this is a very popular temple site where streams of tourists and locals visit every year. Some of the many deities here are Dragon King of the sea, Da Bo Gong and Mazu (goddess of the sea). Fishermen usually visit this temple to pray for safety and blessings before they set off for the sea. Today, they are not just fishermen who come here but people from afar and all walks of life.

I guess the main attraction here, are the arapaimas fishes. It is believed that whoever touches the fish, he/she would have great abundance of fortune and prosperity for the whole year.

Arapaimas are native to South American rivers. I was thinking, if I lived in a huge house, I would love to have one or two of those fishes in the garden pond as well. Hahaaaa… Well, may my wishes come true!

And so, we stayed almost half of our designated time around the pond, desperate and hoping to at least get a feel of the fish’s scale or fins. Finally Cristalle did it! She managed to feel the fish from its head to tail! How awesome! It was not easy at all but patience definitely pays it off eventually. Nice work, Cristalle! Perhaps another factor you’d need is sincerity.

Here are some pictures we took around the site. We were amazed to find a beautiful beach and a jetty here. The beach is named, Minyak Beku, with panoramic view of the straits of Malacca. The jetty is famously known as The Lovers’ Bridge.

Here’s Cristalle posing with one of the statues of the dragon king’s son. What an awesome looking, handsome prince!

We wrapped up the trip with sumptuous spread of 8-course dinner and louhei. It had been a memorable, wonderful trip with tour paxes whom were so sporting – GREAT VIBES! We sang karaoke along the journey and the tour guide entertained us with dance and songs. It was fun and uplifting.

What amazed me the most was the 4D numbers which came out first prize in the evening. It’s a set of significant numbers which perhaps many of us didn’t bet on. The numbers were derived from the date of our trip! I am sure we will have chances to win the 4D jackpot prize once we get home.

Until then, perhaps, we shall meet again in future. Cheers! Once again, HUAT AHH!!!!!!!

~ ArieLCandy 2014 ~