Thean Hou Temple
Thean Hou Temple
4.5
About
This ornate Chinese temple dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, Thean Hou, protectorate of people who make their living from the sea. The temple borrows from Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian traditions. Some visitors believe the panoramic views of KL alone make the trip up the hill worthwhile.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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  • Peggy Ang
    Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia646 contributions
    A place to recount blessings.
    A place for fun and carefree holidays while observing culture. Everyone likes to come here for photography especially during the Chinese New Year . As usual, this year we went there very early to avoid the massive jam on the 3rd day of new year. A stroll from the car park conveniently available which charged MYR10 per entry now is a small price to pay. They have upkeep this place using this that it is indeed worth it. When you enter the ground, the atmosphere of festivity begin. Everything is sparkling clean and joyfully decorated in RED. Wear something nice that can bring out the beauty of you and the surrounding . A leisure walk will bring you up a flight of stairway leading to the temple. They are quipped with wheelchair lift therefore the physical challenged persons will enjoy the same view as us. Then we climbed a flight of staircase to reach the main temple ground. The feeling is so intoxicating to see and breathe the fresh air. The Jossstick is kept to minimal burning which add value to the air. All deities are being taken care of the volunteers to help people who are lost at what to do . If you hv time, visit them by 15th day of the lunar month. This year it is on the 8th Feb 2020. Have fun and be blessed with a good Metal Ray year.
    Visited January 2020
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 January 2020
  • Laura T
    Middlesbrough, United Kingdom6,965 contributions
    one of my favourite places in Kuala Lumpur - do not miss this beautiful temple!
    A beautiful colourful temple with great views overlooking the city through the Ornate Chinese Arch. The temple is surrounded by lovely gardens with lots of statues. The main shrine of the temple is located on the second floor of the large central building. The courtyard, which is very colourful with dozens of red paper lanterns slung all across the top, leads into the main prayer hall. Shoes must be removed to enter. The inside of the temple is intricately decorated with hundreds of small idols along with three large idols. Soooo much to see here! and soooo many beautiful little areas to explore. Of course there is the main courtyard area in front of the temple with the hundreds of red lanterns strung everywhere, then inside the temple and up the stairs to the pagodas with views of the city. But sooo many other highlights, such as the the 12 zodiac animals at the front and main gates with giant rat statues for year of the rat, the lovely small peaceful garden area at the back to the left, then the 24 colourful statues of the filial sons at the back! Lots of other art and stuff to see here too! Another favourite of mine was the rainbow steps leading down to the back right of the temple to infront of the giant chessboard and all the colourful information towers. The painted hearts here on the tree stumps are so cute too! We visited on a sunday afternoon and it was busy with hundreds of tourists and a couple of wedding parties. However the site is so large, we were easily able to wander away from the crowds and find some secluded corners. Plus, with a little patience, we were able to take so many incredible photos. Free entry. Spend 1-2 hours here to take advantage of the hundreds of amazing photo opportunities. 25 minutes walk from Brickfields, although Grabs are just so cheap why walk up the hill! A Grab to Brickfields afterwards was only 10MYR. Sooo many beautiful things to see here, make this a priority on any trip to Kuala Lumpur! I don't often go back to touristy places, but if I'm ever in KL again I will be returning to this beautiful temple, possibly at sunset as this is also recommended.
    Visited March 2020
    Written 18 March 2020
  • Krithika
    9 contributions
    My favorite in KL!
    Calm, Serene and Beautiful. These 3 adjectives make this place my favorite one in KL. As the sun sets and the lanterns are lit, this beautiful temple perched atop a hill will provide you with an experience like no other in the city of KL.
    Visited January 2020
    Written 24 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
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eCe7XY*l
15 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Absolutely beautiful! A huge hemple with so much to see and learn about Chinese culture/religion. Free to visit and dress code is relaxed but modesty is expected.
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Escape To Find Peace
United Arab Emirates688 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
The Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Entry to the temple is absolutely free! The Chinese sea goddess Mazu is worshipped in the six-tiered Thean Hou Temple. Shops with souvenirs and food court with non-vegetarian non-halal meals are located at the LG level. High priced food. The courtyard and temple are on the 2nd floor. There is no elevator; you must use the stairs to get to the top.

The easiest way to reach here is by taxi. This location can also be your next Instagram post if you are here in Kuala Lumpur! Decide for yourself if this will be a must-visit location during your visit to Malaysia. If you ask me, I loved this place, it was a beautiful and calm place! I loved the colorful lanterns too!
You can also get a view of the city from the top.

I highly recommend you come here late afternoon so that you also get the chance to see the night view of the temple! The lanterns would be lit up and you will not be disappointed to visit here! Unfortunately, I couldn't stay up late. But I have heard that the sunset over Thean Hou temple is impressive.

The opening hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. The temple does, however, extend its hours late during holidays. Check the channel for more!
Walk around and you will some rainbow staircases right behind the temple. Tourists can't yet enter this area because it is still being renovated.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Haytham Abu Firas
Qatar14,343 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
New experience to visit Buddhist Temple. Had a good stop at this place. Many believers, firing saint (Perfume), worship and check your luck, fortune and future. Seems marriage time, we saw 3 couples of bride and groom celebrating in there with their families.
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annminky
United States1,591 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
It is a huge temple. During my visit there were 3 couples who got married plus several people were doing their morning worship, it’s an ok temple to visit, not too impressive.
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mosto
Hong Kong, China2,979 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
This destination is not only for Buddhist, I think everyone will find it beautiful, serene and meaningful. It’s also colorful and has many beautiful spots for spectacular photos. I encourage all to go at least once. It’s on top of a hill and you can also view some parts of the city from the temple. The only negative thing I can say about this place is - try and avoid the toilets.
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Coreena W
Mundaring, Australia20 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
This is a beautiful temple and very worthy of a visit. Be sure to see and read about the lives of people made into statues around the back of the temple. Their life stories are very interesting & grounding.
Written 31 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chrisoulla
London, UK54 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
A beautiful temple. Part of a tour where we stopped and went inside. Had great views of KL too. Such interesting details in the temple.
Written 3 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D C
Calgary70 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Beautiful Chinese Temple that is definitely worth a visit. Would have love to hear/ read more about it but it was a short stop on a half-day tour of KL.
Written 22 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mavi5
Invercargill, New Zealand65 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
We inadvertently times our morning visit at the same time as many bridal couples came to seek blessings and have their photos taken, so it was very busy but with added interest.
It was worth taking a walk around outside the temple proper and seeing the water pools and gardens.

The architectural detail is spectacular.

Well worth a visit if you are looking for one Chinese temple to visit, or if you like to see the variations in detail between temples.

The Chinese zodiac animals - with the birth years helpfully written beside -are a great photo opportunity and an added interest if you are travelling with children
Written 9 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vaishali Limaye
Pune, India167 contributions
May 2023 • Family
Beautiful Chinese temple - a little outskirts of the city but beautifully perched on a hill. You can see the skyline of KL from this temple. The temple itself is very beautiful - we loved the wonderfully carved dome where people offer essence sticks. We sat on the white colored benches for a long time and felt the peace in that temple.
Written 3 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur

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