The Reclining Buddha Temple houses one of the largest reclining Buddha statues (33m) in the world. The Thai Buddhist temple is also commonly referred to as the Sleeping Buddha by locals.
The reclining Buddha represents the Buddha at his death
The temple was erected in 1845 and the land was provided by Queen Elizabeth. The reclining Buddha statue represents the Buddha at his death. When you enter the temple remember to remove your shoes as well as any headgear you might be wearing. Right behind the reclining Buddha are hundreds of urns containing the ashes of devotees.
Behind the statue are also the Guardian Buddha statues. For your birth year and animal sign, there is a specific guardian buddha.
According to Chinese astrology, I was born in the year of the goat. The signage next to it read “Year of the goat, devotees who worship this buddha they will receive high bank and retinugs”. Unfortunately, the last word appeared to have been lost in translation.
Outside the temple, right at the entrance to it, are two beautiful dragon statues that are glistening in the sunlight.
Visiting the Reclining Buddha Temple was definitely one of my highlights of my trip to George Town. The temple is so beautiful! Although I am sure you’ve seen plenty of temples in your lifetime, make sure to visit this one. I spent 30 or so minutes in it, marveling at everything there was to see. For more information make sure to check out this link.
Address: 17, Lorong Burma, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Admission: free
Opening hours: 8 AM to 5 PM