We woke up a bit late this morning as we were so tiring after yesterday trip to Legoland Malaysia, where we almost spent a day at there. We had our ‘morning walk’ around the Jalan Wong Ah Fook area, find our way to Jalan Trus. For a convenient shortcut, you can take the steps and walkway next to Public Bank Tower. We came to this Johor Old Chinese Temple.
Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple known as Old Temple by the locals, is a Chinese temple located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Located at downtown Johor Bahru of Jalan Trus, the temple is flanked by modern skyscrapers. It is in the middle of The Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru Hotel and Pasar Seni.
This temple is one of the oldest structures in Johor Bahru. This 130 year old Chinese temple is the symbol of unity among the five different Chinese dialect groups (Teochow, Hakka, Hainanese, Hokkien and Cantonese), each of whom favour a different deity with is own statue in the temple. The temple also has Kwan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) and Weather God statues.
The temple was built during the 19th Century by then Head of Ngee Heng Company led by Tan Hiok Nee and various Chinese community leaders. Although there are no actual records regarding the completion of the temple, the plaque and the century-old bronze bell located in the temple shows that the temple is around 130 years old.
In 1995 / 1996, it underwent a major renovation at a cost of MYR1.5 million. Much of its cultural aura was preserved, and important relics such as the century-old bronze bell, joss stick pot and wooden tablet remain.
It organise annually Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple Chingay – Parade of the Deities. Thousands of people in Johor Bharu from all walks of life, young and old alike, are lined up in the streets to watch and participate in this event, which starts in the evening and ends after midnight. They are going for about 15km parade around the city.
The Chingay Parade has grown in recent years to become a massive street parade, boasting a stunning array of dancers, street floats, jugglers, percussionists, lion and dragon dancers, clowns and acrobats, among others.
Roads will be closed and traffic will be at a virtual standstill. Public transport will be rerouted and many businesses will close early. Schools will dismiss afternoon sessions early for students to get home quickly, so that they can join the throng who will converge in the heart of the city.
During our visit, it was quite quiet inside the temple, may be it was too early. Anyway, hopefully next round, would take more photos of this historical temple.
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