BAYAN LEPAS – The Chinese community has marked the beginning of the Year of the Snake by performing their Chinese New Year prayers at the 220-year-old Temple of the Azure Clouds, officially known as Hock Hin Keong temple, here – famous for its serpent inhabitants.
Visitors from across the country have performed their morning prayers with their families as soon as the temple opens its doors to the public at 9am sharp. Prayers were done with the assistance of temple staffers and monks on duty to ensure smooth prayer sessions.
Some of the visitors met by Scoop at the temple said that they have made it a mandatory ritual to visit the temple annually during the Chinese New Year – especially when the celebration falls on the Year of the Snake.
It is expected that 4,000 people will be visiting the temple today, with around 100,000 visitors expected throughout the first week of the festive season until February 3.
Upon performing their prayers, the visitors strolled around the temple as they snapped photographs of the temple’s signature resident – the Tropidolaemus wagleri or the Wagner’s pit viper perching on the fruit trees around the temple.
This pit viper species is endemic to Southeast Asia. The serpent also earned the nickname the “temple viper” due to its abundance in this temple. Apart from Wagner’s pit vipers, the temple also hosts a number of pythons which are docile enough for visitors to pick up and take photos with.
Good health, prosperity, peace
Visitors performed their prayers at the iconic temple with hopes that the Year of the Snake would be a fulfilling year for them in terms of their professional and personal lives.
Among them is Parit Buntar native Owen Loh, 46, who hopes that this year will be a rewarding one for his hairstyling business that he has been involved in for six years.
“I hope that all will be good, especially for my business,” said Loh, who owns two outlets in his home state.
Meanwhile, private sector employee BY Yeoh, 53 hopes for peace throughout the year.
“I hope that this year will be a peaceful one for everyone,” the Bayan Lepas native said briefly when approached by Scoop.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur-based investment analyst, who prefers to be known as Loke, 28, wishes for good health for his family.
“I also hope to make a lot of money (this year). This is what folks in the investment (sector) are hoping for,” said the Ipoh native.
The snake is the sixth animal of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. It matches up with the years of people born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025.
The creature is traditionally associated with traits like intuition, wisdom, slyness and charm, and is often linked to the element of fire – which represents passion and transformation.
The 220-year-old temple
The temple was built in 1805 in remembrance of Master Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist monk who lived during the Song Dynasty (960 to 1279) and was revered for his compassion. He was honoured and thereafter worshipped at the temple after his passing at the age of 65.
Legend has it that the deity gave shelter to snakes from the nearby jungle, and Wagler’s Pit Vipers followed him into the temple. Over time, more of them came to the temple and were regarded as his protectors. – January 30, 2025