At Tian Hock Kung, snakes replace dragons as symbols of good fortune

Free Malaysia Today

Teh Wen Liang, the temple’s general manager, expects to see the number of visitors double in the Year of the Snake.   Written & presented by: Tan Chin Tung  Shot by: Fauzi Yunus & Andrea Edmonds  Edited by: Fathul Illham   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/01/29/at-tian-hock-kung-snakes-replace-dragons-as-symbols-of-good-fortune/   Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/01/29/ular-pengganti-naga-simbol-tuah-di-tian-hock-kung/    Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #CNY2025 #TianHockKung #SnakeTemple #Klang #YearOfTheSnake

Transcript

00:00This bridge is very meaningful to us.

00:19It was built after this bridge was built.

00:22There was no bridge before.

00:23We are in the forest.

00:24When the government built this bridge,

00:26it was very old.

00:27It was built after the bridge was built.

00:29When you look at this bridge,

00:31it looks like a big snake

00:32passing by our temple.

00:34So we treat it as a big snake

00:36protecting our temple.

00:38Historically, snakes are portrayed as

00:40venomous and fearsome creatures

00:42that people are warned to stay away from.

00:45However, Tianhou Gong,

00:47a 42-year-old temple in Klang

00:50with cobras and pythons

00:52built into its architecture,

00:54is a testament to the belief that snakes

00:56can symbolize only the most positive virtues.

01:05The temple's general manager,

01:07Pao Sin,

01:08believes that the true meaning

01:10embodied by the snakes

01:12carved into the temple's pillars and roof

01:14belies their fierce appearance.

01:17The special thing about our temple

01:19is that many of the snake temples

01:20are dominated by dragons.

01:22Our Tianhou Gong is dominated by snakes.

01:25Many people are afraid of snakes

01:27because they are cold-blooded animals.

01:29But that's not a big deal.

01:31Snakes represent meaning.

01:34Snakes represent longevity.

01:37In our temple,

01:39there is a tortoise under the snake.

01:41There must be a tortoise.

01:42Snakes represent longevity,

01:44and tortoises represent longevity.

01:45Tortoises are long-lived.

01:47That's why it's called longevity.

01:49For Stephen T,

01:50chairman of the temple's committee,

01:52snakes and the deity they accompany

01:54Er Fu Gong

01:55are never symbols of fear,

01:57but of good luck and fortune.

02:25It seems like Sin and T

02:27are not alone in embracing snakes

02:29as their talisman.

02:31Hundreds of thousands of local

02:33and foreign tourists

02:34visit the temple each year,

02:36either to pay homage to the god

02:38or to simply marvel at its majestic architecture

02:41adorned with over-the-top carvings.

02:44The temple is a symbol of good luck

02:46and good fortune.

02:48The temple is a symbol of good luck

02:50and good fortune.

02:53adorned with over 60 striking snake statues.

03:02Sin expects to see the number of

03:04Tien Ho Gong's visitors double

03:06in the year of the snake.

03:15This year, I think the snake year

03:17will attract more people.

03:19Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan

03:21are all tourist attractions.

03:23When they come here,

03:25they come to take a look.

03:27I think there will be more visitors.

03:29Because Er Fu Gong

03:31has a big heart.

03:34He welcomes visitors.

03:38Tien Ho Gong

03:39is a temple that worships

03:41Xiao Jun Er Fu,

03:43also known as Er Fu Gong,

03:45one of the three sworn brothers

03:47who defeated an evil serpent

03:49terrorizing a village in Fudian

03:51during the Song Dynasty.

03:53After the brothers' ascension

03:55into deities,

03:57the villagers then built a temple

03:59in a cave where the battle took place

04:01to revere him and his brothers

04:03for their selfless act.

04:05When we built the new temple,

04:07we followed the instructions

04:09given by Er Fu Gong

04:11and Xiao Jun Er Fu.

04:13When we built the temple,

04:15we focused on the snake.

04:17Did you hear about him?

04:19Yes, I did.

04:21When we were designing the temple,

04:23he would give us instructions

04:25on how to build it.

04:29My younger brother was also there.

04:31He also gave us instructions

04:33on how to design the temple.

04:35The architect then

04:37slowly developed the design.

04:39Retiree Wan Sin Fee

04:41has made weekly visits to the temple

04:43since 1987.

04:45The temple is in good shape now.

04:47I have paid for it.

04:49It's in good condition now.

04:51The beauty of the temple

04:53is that people come here

04:55to look for it.

04:57If you are lucky,

04:59you will definitely find it.

05:07Happy New Year!

05:09Happy New Year!

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