Lao Zi Temple, Kuantan, Pahang

The Lao Zi Temple (太上老君庙) in Kuantan is a must-visit destination as it has grown to be a huge tourism product in the area. The temple, which pays homage to the founder and Supreme Patriarch of Taoism, Lao Zi, has a 7m tall statue of him.

This temple is also known as Dragon Temple for its Golden Dragon structure that is 823 metres in length. It is said to be the longest in the world and is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records for “The Longest Dragon Statue” in the country.

Visitors are encouraged to walk through the dragon, entering from its tail and exiting from its mouth, at the proper temple grounds. This walk is said to improve the luck of the person. In any case, it does improve health due to its foot reflexology path.

Visitors are charged RM5 to walk through the dragon. Those who take the shortcut to the temple proper by climbing the stairs pay a reduced rate of RM3. The money collected is for the temple upkeep.

My friends and I arrived one scorching Sunday afternoon. The temple is just 13km from Kuantan town heading towards Sungai Lembing, and was not difficult to locate, guided by Waze.

Without knowing what to expect, a foreign worker told us that we had two choices: to walk through the dragon or to take the shortcut by climbing the stairs. We chose to enter the dragon despite the heat. During the 15-minute walk along the 2,700 feet pathway, we came across the 5000-word scripture of the “Book of Tao and its Virtues” inscribed on the walks.

We did not know that we would be blessed with good fortune when we emerged from the dragon’s mouth or that we should make a wish before touching the dragon’s pearl in front of it. So, how now? I need to make another trip there!!

Perhaps the next time, I could join a guided tour so that things will be explained to me. I just need to find out the schedule.

This third generation temple is a work in progress. With land measuring 6ha, it does take a lot of time and finances to build. The dragon sculpture itself cost RM550,000 and took three years to complete.

Lao Zi Temple reminds me of Singapore’s Haw Par Villa, with the huge-sized statues, the 12 Chinese horoscope animals as well as the 18 Chambers of Hell.

Besides door collection, the temple observes two religious festivities every year to raise funds not only for its maintenance but also to preserve Chinese culture and tradition among the younger generation.

For enquiries, contact information is included below.

Lao Zi Temple (太上老君庙)
Add: Lot 362, KM12, Kampung Padang, Sungai Lembing, Kuantan.
GPS Coordinates： N 03′ 51. 342′ E 103′ 14.934′
Contact numbers: +6019-9482020 / +6016-9362629 (Mr. Kui Fook Weng)
Web: http://laozitemple.blogspot.com
Email: laozitemple@hotmail.com
Opening hours: 8am – 7pm (daily)

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