Guan Ying Ting Dou Mu Gong and the CNY Bazaar
Although both temples are in Raja Uda, Guan Ying Ting Dou Mu Gong Temple (北海新芭觀音亭斗母宮) should not be confused with Butterworth Tow Boo Kong Temple (北海斗母宫), as they are operated under different families.
I visited the temple a year ago, in which I had experienced the tranquillity of late August. The second visit was an impromptu proposal from Agnes after a drink at BaWangChaJi. Tiffany and I had been to the temple before, but Esther and Yi Ying had not set foot there.
The temple was flooded with the Chinese New Year bazaar-attendants, which already began in late December. It was a customary Malaysian tradition, as right after the Jingle Bells, the Dong-Dong-Chiang would replace them overnight.
The Four Heavenly Kings guarded the entrance, their fierce gaze scanned through the incoming visitors. They looked different from two years ago when they had their eyes covered with red clothes before the consecration ceremony. It prevented the evil spirits from possessing the statues.
Temple Tour
Taking off our shoes, Agnes, the guide, took us on a tour around the temple. She narrated how the wall carvings were handcrafted, with each handcrafted carving depicting different deities. I would not recommend touching those out of respect. The large grey dragon pillars at four corners connected the marble ground to the heavy, overhanging roof.
“It was an architecture student’s nightmare,” Esther looked up to the roof’s complicated framework. “I remember observing the temple’s craftsmanship as a part of my uni project.”
By then, everyone had noticed the names in gold engraved around the temple. They were the Hokkien families who had donated for the temple’s renovation. A permanent reminder that the temple’s restoration work was a community effort.
Right in the middle placed a man-made pond with schools of kois swimming within. Some gathered beneath the magnificent dragon statue in the middle, receiving blessings from the sprouting water. However, the feeding booth was closed, even though there were extra plastic containers of commercial fish feed.
“Uncle,” Agnes called when she saw an old man keeping the containers into a large white polystyrene box. “Why can’t we feed the fishes?”
“Visitors been overfeeding them,” the old man said. “We‘ve got to regulate the feeding session or else they’ll die.”
Just like how I feed my turtles every two to three days. If I were to feed those kois, the morning would be a suitable time with a smaller crowd and those schools of fishes would welcome their first meal of the day.
The only activity we could do was offer our prayers as lotus candles. This pink floral candle can be found in temples that enshrined Buddhist figures. Here, it was the Goddess of Mercy. Agnes bought two lotus candles and wrote our names on the yellow stickers. When she placed the two candles along with the other ignited candles, the luminous flame brightened our path for the upcoming year.
Following the stairs, we reached the temple’s top floor to have a closer look at the complicated roof in bright colours and sculptures. The street lights below illuminated the starless night sky of Raja Uda, giving life to this Chinese-populated area of the town.
“What’s that?” Yi Ying referred to the round, gleaming object on top of the overarching roof. It looked like the bright moon was trapped within.
“A fake moon,” Agnes said. “It aligns to the position of the full moon.”
It was a pity that the last full moon was a few days ago.
Chinese New Year Bazaar
Starting from December, the Chinese New Year bazaar will be set up near the temple where you can find low price products and knock off clothes over three months. It is a treasure hunting spot to track random products like Elsa in Chinese clothing, boba tea earrings, and shirts with English quotes that make little sense.
“Can someone explain why they’re called TikTok shorts?” I pointed at a row of striped fabric shorts. Nowadays, the word ‘TikTok’ has become a catchphrase for marketing. Just slap the word ‘TikTok’ in front of your product name and everyone will hop into the bandwagon.
“Imagine you become a TikToker after buying one,” Agnes commented. “Do you wanna get one?”
“No, thanks.”
The vendors will hang their banners or DIY cardboards in front of their stalls. Sometimes, you can spot some hilarious mistakes like this one:
“I spotted a typo,” Agnes directed us to look at the signboard labelled ‘T-shit’.
We giggled and took photos. We were not sure if the seller was doing it unintentionally or on purpose. However, I must admit that this could catch anyone’s attention easily.
Street food is an essential in a bazaar. People usually get imported and local snacks, rolled ice cream, or the phallic-looking swirl of potato chips. I tried to look for the pillow biscuits, but I could not find its presence among the rows of the snack tins.
I had never thought this piece was a little challenging to write, as there are few existing documents regarding this temple. I am grateful that my friend Agnes was kind enough to share the information regarding the wall carvings and the fake moon.
I might write another feature for Butterworth Tow Boo Kong Temple if I could get photos from the spot. Otherwise, I might need to wait for the annual Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
Date of Visitation: Aug 2020 and Dec 2021
Address: 27, Medan Melur Selatan, Jalan Raja Uda, 12300 Butterworth
Opening Hours: 7am–12am
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