Jade Emperor God Temple Air Itam — Attraction in George Town

The Jade Emperor diety is known to be the ultimate ruler of Heaven and Earth in the Chinese culture. The Jade Emperor, reigns supreme in the celestial hierarchy of Chinese mythology, his legacy resonating through centuries of folklore, religious thought, and cultural identity.This divine ruler serves as an embodiment of power, morality, and justice. Presiding over heaven and earth, the Jade Emperor marked the rhythm of seasons, the fates of humans, and the activities of deities. The Thean Kong Thnuah Temple, also known as Thni Kong Tnua or the Jade Emperor's Pavilion, is a Taoist temple within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at Ayer Itam, the temple was completed in 1869 and is the only temple in Malaysia built specifically for the worship of the Jade Emperor. The temple becomes a focal point for the annual Jade Emperor's Birthday celebrations on the 9th day of the Chinese New Year The temple is located at the foot of Penang Hill and is surrounded by lush greenery. The path leading up to the temple features a flight of stairs with 110 granite steps, and its archway is decorated with century-old stone carvings. The temple's architecture is a combination of both Buddhist and Taoist styles According to Taoist belief, it was the Jade Emperor who created men. He fashioned men out of clay and left them to harden in the sun. However, it rained, causing the men to deform and thus introduce the origin of sickness and physical abnormalities. This is just one of the many stories featuring the Jade Emperor that are popular in China, and with Chinese practising Taoism. As a result, the cat missed the chance to meet the Jade Emperor, and his place was taken over by the pig. The Jade Emperor was delighted to meet all the animals, and hence, he named the years with each of them. The cat was furious when he learned that he missed out, and from that day, the cat and the rat were enemies. The Thni Kong Tnua or Jade Emperor's Pavilion in Air Itam is one of those rare temples dedicated to the worship of this august deity. The temple in its present form dates back to 1905. It was built by the same Cantonese-Hokkien temple trustees as the Kong Hock Keong, better known as Kuan Im Teng. A Taoist shrine is said to have existed on that particular site since 1869, and for that reason, the present Jade Emperor's Pavilion is regarded as being over 140 years old

Before the renovation of 2002, the Jade Emperor's Pavilion received its last major facelift through the efforts of the philanthropist brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, of Haw Par Villa fame. That was back in 1931. Among the structures built at that time was an octagonal pavilion that is still standing. The Jade Emperor's Pavilion sits on a horse-shoe knoll called Fong San or Phoenix Mountain, a particularly auspicious position, for it represents the four sacred creatures of Taoism - green dragon, white tiger, black turtle and red peacock, each guarding the temple in four cardinal directions The Thni Kong Tnua is unique in that it is a Taoist temple managed by Buddhist monks. One of the more imminent was Abbot Jing Ming, a Mahayana Buddhist monk who also taught Zen Buddism. He served as abbot of Thni Kong Tnua from 1905 to 1915. The Thni Kong Tnua underwent extensive renovation and restoration, which began in January 2002. As the craftmanship is not available locally, artisans from China had to be employed. They include 33 craftsmen from Fuzhou. The people involved in the restoration are...

One with distinctive workmanship and built with South China temple architectural features. Pay special attention to the ceiling of the original temple. One will be speechless upon seeing the craftsmanship. The special date to be there is on 8th day evening to ninth day morning in the first moon of...

Usually this temple will be full of people during the Good of Heaven birthday which usually falls on the ninth day of the Chinese New Year.All the other Gods are also found in this temple.A very good place to go to the hill and climb up to this temple abode...