Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (No. 19 – Visit Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple)
Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (No. 19 - Visit Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple)
The Chinese in Sabah
The largest non-indigenous ethnic group in Sabah are the Malaysian-Chinese. Although their presence in Sabah pre-dates British colonial North Borneo many families can trace their ancestors migrating from China to what is now Sabah in the period from the early 1880s to the 1930s. The largest Malaysian-Chinese group are the Hakka people, whilst there are also people of Cantonese and Hokkien heritage.
Many of the Malaysian-Chinese practice Buddhism and that’s the background of our visit today to Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple.
Getting to Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple
The temple is in Likas, that’s in the northern part of Kota Kinabalu, around 15 minutes north of the city.
Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple – an introduction
The main temple was built in 1980 and it was the first Buddhist temple in Sabah. Initially the temple consisted of a Main Gate, Dah Xiong Main Prayer Hall and a Che Sze Lim Temple. Over the years the site has been extensively developed and today contains a three storey building named Dah Guan Lou, a library, memorial place for the founder and ancestor name plates and urns. In 1990 Yuan Ming Hall and a guest house were completed whilst a three storey kindergarten with 15 classrooms that can accommodate 200 students was officially opened in 2006.
The temple preaches the teaching of Pure Land Buddhism and Sutra chanting is undertaken daily at 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. One day retreats are held on a monthly basis and the temple distributes food-stuffs to the poor and needy every third week of the month.
Avalokitesvara Statue
A very impressive 32 feet tall statue of Avalokitesvara or Kwan Yin (Guan Yin), the Goddess of Mercy greets the visitor after climbing the short but steep hill to the entrance of the temple complex.
Kuan Xin Garden
On the left side of the temple is a garden that offers a tranquil and peaceful environment for visitors. The centrepiece of the garden are life-size statues of Buddha and his ten disciples.
In conclusion
Away from the hustle and bustle of Kota Kinabalu city centre, the Pu Tuo Si Buddhist Temple with its gentle and sweet aroma of incense is a very calming and serene place to visit.
Top Tip for Visitors:
There is no entrance fee but consider leaving a donation for the upkeep of the temple.
Visit as part of your Kota Kinabalu city tour with Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency.
About Martin:
Martin is a British expat living in Kota Kinabalu who arranges tailored tours within Sabah primarily for British and Western tourists on behalf of Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency. Please help spread the word about beautiful Sabah and share this post using the social share buttons below.