04-Jun-2025
Just down from our condo are two temples: Teh Boh Neo and Cheng Sian Tong. We visited both back in 2019, when we were still fairly new in town, but we'd not been back since.
The other day, our Grab driver told us that the lower of the two played a role in restraining the ghosts of our Ghost Hill (Bukit Hantu). And... I've completely forgotten what he said the other one was for... Duhhh.
Anyway, today's programme consisted in having breakfast at the kopitiam opposite our condo (A Sip of Life, where the laksa was as good as last time), and then popping across to visit the temples.
I'd forgotten they were so beautiful. Nice enough to deserve a post all to themselves.
First, Teh Boh Neo:
How adorable is this turtle...?
The temple has lots of examples of the yin-yang taijitu, which symbolizes harmony and balance. The bagua (the motif with the eight trigrams of the I Ching) is also prominent. I know nothing about the ins and outs of all this, but the idea is to balance negative energy
But aside from all this, the aesthetics are just really appealing:
Just up the steps is Cheng Siang Tong. This is a more homely temple, pleasantly jumbly:
There's a lovely garden
As we were heading off up the hill, on our way home, a lady leans out of a window in the top temple, and hands us some bananas. From the tree across the road, she says. Very kind. More banana muffins in the offing, I think...