Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details
I sat on these old, intricate floor tiles in the inner courtyard of a Chinese temple one hot humid afternoon in Penang.
Nestled deep within a vast courtyard, the Han Jiang Teochew Temple is a sanctuary of calm right in the heart of bustling Georgetown.
My husband, our son and I sat on these cracked and worn floors in quiet appreciation of this beautiful spot. I took these shots just as we were leaving because it represented such a moment of simple contentment. A family sitting together in companionable silence.
* This ancestral temple belonging to the Teochew clan was built in 1870. It was meticulously restored in 2003 by master craftsmen brought in from China and won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2006.
so beautiful dear Sharon, I loved this. Thank you, have a nice day, love, nia
Beautiful, love the colours Sharon. Have a nice day
Hi Kathryn! Thank you so much for coming by! Could you please leave me your link so that I can visit you? Have a great day. Sharon
Lovely tiles. I love the light and shadow in your compositions. 🙂
Have a great day.
~Imelda
Beautiful Sharon and what a lovely memory to have! 🙂
Thank you for these lovely images.
Just beautiful. I can see you sitting there with your husband and little son, perfectly content. Lots of love.
Hi Piyali! This little spot was just what we needed after a hot afternoon of exploring the backlanes of Georgetown on foot. We sat down here on the cool floors in the shade of the inner courtyard. Reading the brochures, drinking our containers of water we had brought along. My son was checking out the golden inscription on the columns. I was studying the floor tiles. We were all so incredibly content. It was so quiet. There was nobody in the temple at that time. Funny how I associate that moment with these old ancient floors. A little memory to treasure. Many hugs to you and waiting for your next post. Sharon
Sharon,
I love the light and shadows in this special place. The energy is palpable.
Cathy
Dear Cathy,
You are so right. Despite being in Penang since my earliest childhood, I had never stepped into this temple. And quite by chance we stumbled upon it and decided to peer into the massive doorway and step across the threshold. I still remember that moment. I must have caught my breath and eyes widened in delight. It was like being cocooned in the most steady solid presence of peaceful silence while the buses trundled and cars whizzed by just outside. Always a joy to hear from you….Sharon
Love, love, love these old floor tiles ~ just divine. You take great snaps 🙂
Thank you Lakshmi! That really made me smile 😀 Thanks for the great curry tip. I will most certainly add that secret ingredient in next ime. Sharon
Isn’t Malaysia predominantly Muslem? The fact that there are carvings on the column base indicates that this is not a Muslem temple. What denomination/religion does this Chinese temple represent? The patterns of the tiles are quite similar to patters/designs we see in Native American arts. Isn’t that interesting! Your photos bring the serenity you have experienced with your precious family. “Blessed is the spot where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.” -Fae.
Dear Fae,
Thank you for your great interest and observations of this temple. It is true that while Malaysia is officially an Islamic country, the Chinese and Indian communities have a major and unmistakeable presence in the country. It is this distinct feature that gives Malaysia a very unique characteristic.
The Chinese temple featured here is a Teochew temple and houses the altar of the Teochew patron deity, the Taoist god of the north as well as ancestral tablets of deceased Teochews.
As you might already know, the Chinese in Malaysia came from different provinces in China from the late 18th century. The Teochews originated from the Chaozhou prefecture, on the eastern part of the Guandong province in Southern China.
My father is Cantonese and my mother is Hakka. The Teochews are one of the six main Chinese dialect groups in Malaysia.
I have a great respect for the Native American arts and now that you mentioned it, I do see the resemblance of the tiles here and to many of the Native American artwork and design which I saw when I was in the US!
Thank you for writing! And how perfectly apt this beautiful quote in this beautiful spot.
Many blessings to you, Sharon
Thank you for the fascinating history lesson. It is GOOD to be informed! 😀
hehehe…got a little carried away there eh! Thanks for taking the time to read this little history report! 😀 Have a happy day!
Nice colors, contrast, and texture. 🙂
Coming from you, that’s a great compliment. Sharon
Thanks – you’re too humble. Your photos are one of the things that drew me to follow your blog. Along with your philosophical posts, of course. 🙂
Beautiful! It’s wonderful that it was preserves and restored.
I just found out that these folks from the Teochew association raised the money themselves amounting to USD 250,000 and set up a restoration committee to undertake this massive project. Have a wonderful day Pat! Sharon
Thank you very much for stopping by my photoblog, and checking the recent post out. Also, thank you for the subscription, and for, coincidently, being the 1000th blog subscriber through WordPress! I was curious to see who was gonna be, where the person would be coming from! 😮 Beautiful images you’ve got here – thanks for sharing! Take care, and greetings from our traveling family, from La Paz, Bolivia!
Wow – that must have been my lucky day indeed! 1000th blogger! This must surely mean good things in store for us 😀 And guess what – my husband was a Development advisor with the Foreign Service and we lived in Kabul, Afghanistan as our first family posting abroad. I definitely look forward to following your family adventure through this great big wonderful world! Many hugs, Sharon
Thank you very much, Sharon! Life is definitely full of coincidences! 😮
I am from singapore and Peranakan but have never seen such beautiful red accented tiles before. Something new! Thanks for the shots.
There is a magnificent Peranakan museum in Penang which is a mansion restored to its former glory. The floor tiles are intricate and beautiful and I was actually considering using those shots for this post. I am glad you liked these ones too and thank you for dropping by! Sharon
Thank you for stopping and liking a post today. I enjoyed reading your thoughts for the day. They are a lovely reminder at any time of the day. I look forward to following your blog and its wonderful photography and thoughts.
Take care,
Ivon
Dear Ivon,
It’s so good to hear from you and indeed I too have enjoyed your writings and thoughts immensely. Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it very much. I wish you a wonderful weekend. To blessed days, Sharon
Thank you Sharon and you are welcome.
These are glorious photos. Such beautiful tiles that will last for centuries. Thanks for sharing them.
Hello my dear Emily!!!
I have missed you and so so good to hear from you after this break!! So glad to see that you’re doing well and bringing us so much beauty from your world. Thank you so much for coming over and for your wonderful messages! Hugs and it’s not too late to wish you a Happy New Year, eh! 😀 Sharon
Good morning Sharon ! Never to late to wish Happy New Year. Great seeing you and have a wonderful day!
Lovely post Sharon! The place is beautiful – one could get “lost in the whole” there! The history was very interesting too.
So glad you like this! Indeed this little city has many unexpected corners to get gloriously lost in! Have a great weekend! Sharon
What a rich piece of history…you have captured.
Dear Laurie,
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed putting it together! Thank you so much for visiting. Always so good to hear from you! Sharon
Great pictures and memories Sharon!
Hello Claudia!
Thank you! I enjoyed myself in a little piece of nostalgia. I wish you a super weekend. Hugs dear one, Sharon
Have a nice weekend too Sharon! 🙂
Claudia, I can get to your link again! Send it to me here if you have time! Thank you! 😀
Sharon, I haven’t seen your message until now. Sorry for that. My link is:
http://claudiatotirphoto.wordpress.com/
Let me know if it doesn’t work!
Thanks Claudia! I went over at once 😀 I have missed you and it was a joy to see your beautiful work again. Good to see you again! Hugs, Sharon
What a lovely post ! It brings serenity, quietness and a joy for life as one looks at the colourful tiles. As a quilter, I see it as an inspiration for a star pattern. Four different squares like cardinal points joined as a star, a very shiny one too. Thank you for sharing this memory with us.
Hello Isa and a warm welcome to the blog! Thank you so much for coming by and leaving me this great message. It is true now that you mentioned it that the tiles would make a great quilt pattern. I would be thrilled if you ever decide to make a quilt inspired by a 19th century Chinese temple floors! How great that we find inspiration sometimes in the most unlikely places. Have a lovely weekend till we meet again. Hugs, Sharon
Beautiful! I like the designs of old floor tiles.
That is extremely cool. The pictures, and the story. I would like to be there too!
beautiful Sharon….
Wow. Those are amazing, Sharon. Thanks the for history too.
Those are gorgeous, Kakak Sharon! 🙂
I like the colors and symmetry.
Beautiful, Sharon. It’s wonderful to hear that this site has been so lovingly restored. I miss Penang!
Sharon, I really love how your photo category is set-up with boxes/columns! How do you do that in wordpress?? Sonia xx
I am always pleasantly surprised by your photographs. I have been to this temple before but never really saw the lines you have detailed. I am looking at it with fresh eyes just like at the other stuff you highlight so wonderfully. I took the liberty to nominate you on my blog for a nature photo challenge. Even if you don’t take part I just wanted to mention you and this beautiful space you have created. Many blessings on you Sharon.
Dear Gina, you bless my heart in so many ways. Do know that I am very touched. Thank you so much for reaching out to me and for your nomination. So very glad to know that our paths crossed even in the temple! Have a wonderful day dear soul. Sharon