"Lichun" festival at Kek Lok Si Temple

In traditional Chinese Culture, “Lichun” (立春) is a solar term marking the beginning of spring in East Asian cultures. For Year 2009, Lichun is started on 21st Jan till 25th Jan. And Chinese New Year is celebrated around this time which falls on 26th Jan and 27th Jan.

During “Lichun” many temples in Penang will have a prayer (by monks) and “lantern-lite-up” ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony is to worship and offerings to the gods and ceremonies for a blissful and prosperous new year (2009).

On 30 Dec 2008 (Monday), my wife and I, we went to Kek Lok Si Temple to make a donation for the “lantern-lite-up” ceremony on 21st Jan (which is the 1st day of Lichun). Upon making the donation, the person in charge in the temple will write down our name and our prayer or wishes in a piece of paper. My wife and I, we pray and wish for love, peace, harmony, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Right after we make the donation, the person in charge handover this red packet for us. Inside the packet is consists of items like below picture.




I would like to share a few photos of Kek Lok Si Temple that I taken during Chinese New Year 2007. The temple is so impressive with thousands of lights. All the lanterns in the temple are the donations from Chinese community from Penang especially, other states in Malaysia and even from tourist.