The 2019 Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen New Year Floral Lantern Festival

Despite its somewhat sleepy town status, Jenjarom new village every Chinese New Year provides with bright and lively atmosphere of multi-coloured lights and lanterns.

The highlight of the village is the Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple which is decked in flowers and creative figurines to usher in the Lunar New Year Celebration.

 Upon entering, visitors will be greeted by a vibrant and beautiful arch, welcoming them to the new village which is also known as Kampung Bahagia or Happy Village. Happy New Year!!! Let's Usher together into 2019 with saying Huat ah, Heng ah, Ong ah!(meaning prosperity, success and good luck)

Dong Zen Temple has a different theme for each Chinese New Year celebration, the celebration last for the entire 20 days. A visit to Dong Zen Temple for the New Year has become a tradition for many domestic and international tourists. Starting at 31 January till 19 Feb  from 10 am to 10pm.

In conjunction with the year of the pig, Ven master Hsing Yun`s Chinese couplet
 `Always well-rounded and auspicious` .

After entering this road, walk straight until you see the big lantern-decked Dong Zen building on your right.

Giant Good Fortune and Happiness Lantern. Below big letters abbreviation "I❤FGS" for I Love Fo Guang Shan.

Could be easily mistaken for hot air balloon?

The temple is a popular place of worship and hosts a lot of religious activities and fairs. They also have an art gallery that exhibits works of art that are related to Buddhism.

An Art Gallery with artefacts exhibition, a calligraphy hall and a Relics Shrine.

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple (佛光山东禅寺) is one of the many branches of Buddhist temple established by the Buddhist monk, Master Hsing Yun. 

FGS in Chinese, 佛光山 literally means “the Mountain of Buddha’s Light”.

It's the largest Buddhist order in Taiwan having been established by Master Hsing Yun in 1967.Branches have opened all over the world and it aims to promote Buddhism through its educational programmes and good deeds. Malaysia is one of the many branches of Fo Guang Shan (“FGS”) throughout the world.

Safety Advice. Glass can be dangerous. We have raised our concern of the visitors risk of crashing into glass door to one of the nun who was attending the FGS museum. One of the glass door was left opened while the other closed. Prior to this I have seen an old man walked straight into opened glass door. So hopefully in the future they should place something on the glass door like a CNY zodiac symbol with paper cut art  to make it more visible. 

To reduce the risk of accidental injury, many establishments use sections of frosted glass in doors to make them more conspicuous, or other means to identify clear glass in a door.


As Dong Zen gets very crowded at night, we usually plans our trip to arrive in Jenjarom before nightfall, taking the opportunity to stroll in the gardens to admire the beautiful orchids while waiting for the lights to come on.

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple: main prayer hall seats a large Buddha statue

Visitors must wear disposable socks which are provided before going inside the Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen temple to protect the marble floors from damage.

Eco Friendly Automatic Disposable Shoe Cover Machine. Will it make the debut one day?

This incredible gadget will automatically cover the bottom of your shoes when you step on it! It's almost like a mini shrink-wrapping machine for just the bottom of your shoes! To use it, just step onto the machine, and it will automatically wrap the bottom of your shoe with plastic and shrink wrap it to secure it in place.

Xuanzang traveled along what we now know as the Silk Road. He survived the dangerous Taklamakan Desert and continued through the high and harsh mountains of Tian Shan (literally, mountains of the heavens or sky).

Xuanzang: The Monk who Brought Buddhism East

One thing the temple is famous for is its annual lantern exhibits during the lunar new year. The lanterns are hand made by the monks and nuns and temple volunteer are a sight to behold at night, which appeared to be very skillfully crafted.

Volunteers, made up of craftsmen and engineers, designed and made the lanterns and figurines at the temple over the six months.  So we really appreciate their time and amount of effort that they put into their job and we assure them that their efforts are significantly appreciated.

Zheng He (Chinese: 鄭和; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty.

 He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family, later adopted the conferred surname Zheng from Emperor Yongle. Zheng commanded expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. His larger ships stretched 120 meters or more in length and carried hundreds of sailors on four tiers of decks.

In China, the calabash, or "bottle-gourd" plant, has long been used as a food and medicine, and its hard shell as a bottle, a dipper and even an ancient musical instrument.The gourd is popular as a charm to ward off evil spirits and disease because its first character (hulu 葫芦) has the same pronunciation as the word to "protect" or "guard" (hu 护) and also the word for "blessing" (hu 祜).

The Chinese believe the number "8" to be very auspicious and an omen for good luck.  The gourd, as the gourd charm resembles the number "8".


The temple gardens are beautiful when the orchids are in bloom but I think the sheer crowds that throng the place causes it to lose some of its sereneness.

Feel like singing the song, Butterfly...

The song goes like this,

Butterfly, my butterfly, I’ll come home to you one day.
Butterfly, my butterfly, wait for me, don’t fly away

Every Chinese New Year the temple puts on a Lantern and Flora Festival and the whole place is transformed into a glittering wonderland of red lanterns, digital lights, illuminated gardens and colourful displays for kids and adults.

The weather is warm and sunny, most visitors
 tend to come in the evening
 when it's cooler.

This looks more like an act of vandalism. 

Flower vandalism. It's disheartening. If it's kids you need to get hold of their parents. The parents should make the kids pay for replacements. Adults vandals must keep their itchy hands to themselves.

Pigs communicate constantly. More than 20 different vocalizations have been identified.  All we hear is radio ga ga nope is Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O! And on that farm he had some pigs, E-I-E-I-O! With a oink-oink here and a oink-oink there Here an oink there an oink, ..

Pigs communicate with a variety of grunts and squeaks. A short grunt, a longer growl and a loud roar will warn other pigs of approaching danger. Pigs can't fly, but we can squeal!” . A pig's squeal can be as loud as 115 decibels – that's 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic airliner.

Pumbaa- wild Hog. I couldn't find his lantern.

Are you talking to *me*? Timon: Ya shouldn't have done that. Pumbaa: Are you talking to ME? Timon: Now they're in for it. Pumbaa: They call me MR. PIG. AHHHH!


 Interesting Facts. The word ‘barbecue’ comes from the French who called their Caribbean pork feasts ‘de barbe et queue’, which means ‘from beard to tail’.


Pigs are one of the oldest forms of livestock, pigs were domesticated earlier than cows. Nowadays, pigs are farmed for their meat called ‘pork’, although some keep them as pets.

Today, more than 100 nations rely on the U.S. for their pork supplies, and the U.S. is the largest exporter of pork in the world, with 26% of total production going into the export market.

Most pigs raised in the United States are classified as meat-type pigs, as they produce more lean meat than lard, a fat used in cooking.

I was reading an article last week dated Oct 2, 2012 about a Oregon farmer eaten by his pigs ... out the possibility that the farmer could have collapsed from a medical emergency, such as a heart attack. The following day, Feb 8, 2019...I read the news about another incident from Udmurtiar in Russia farm. A farmer was eaten alive by pigs after collapsing in their pigsty. The 56-year-old woman is believed to have suffered an epileptic seizure while feeding the animals.

Some animals have memory of harm done to them can choose to take revenge for the harm inflicted on them. Does that include Pig?

Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Lately omnivores diet include human? They will eat almost anything – including human bones.

Pokemon that resemble pigs ? No wonder the name sound Porkemon.

Pignite
Fire Pig Pokémon チャオブー
Chaoboo

The temple, surrounded by luscious green gardens, is a popular stop for tourists to snap photographs and admire the well-designed landscaped gardens.

I like to get few uninterrupted scenery photo done before the guests arrive and relax for a moment in the calm just before the storm when there's peace and quiet.

In conjunction with the year of the pig, Ven master Hsing Yun`s Chinese couplet `Always well-rounded and auspicious` for the year of the pig, is the theme for the floral lantern starting at 31 January for a period of 20 days till 19 Feb.

The theme is positioned under the Fortune Tree which comes with three little pig figurines that represent goodness, diligence and unity.

How did the pig get up there? Fly? Can pig climb a tree?  If the tree was slanted enough I guess they could, but that could also be just "walking on a tree and not climbing. 

Figure of speech: 豬乸會上樹 - (lit. female pigs can climb tree) something impossible; "When pigs fly".

"The UFO Has Landed" 

Another word for pig: hog, sow, boar, piggy, swine.

The largest pig on record was a Poland-China hog named ‘Big Bill’. He weighed a portly 2,552 lbs and was so large that he dragged his belly on the ground. He had a shoulder height of 5 feet and a length of 9 feet.

Hey Ladies!. A female pig is called a gilt if she hasn't had piglets yet and a sow if she has.

Pigs walk on only two of their toes on each feet. Pigs look like they are walking on tip toe.There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used by the pig for walking.

Pigs need glasses. Their eyesight is among the poorest of the barnyard species, but compensate with one of the most powerful noses.  Their snout is actually 2,000 times more sensitive than the human nose.

This mama “singing” to her little babies is the sweetest thing imaginable. Oink Oink..Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Newborn piglets learn to run to their mother’s voice and to recognize their own names. Huh?

Well that's one trick you can never teach the pig to ride a bicycle like a dog riding a bicycle. 

 Pig looks slow and heavy. Look at you, old hairy guy with the big fat belly but don't let the  looks fool you. Think that pigs are slow and lumbering? As it turns out, they're not at all! 

 Domestic pigs average a top speed of about 11 miles per hour. A wild boar, which isn't as fat-laden as a domestic pig, can reach speeds over 30 mph.

Pigs don't usually run in a straight line. They often zigzag in order to escape enemies or potential predators or from being eaten.

There are a lot of misconceptions about pigs,and it's one animal people don't really seem to understand. Pig general facts include: ... 

“People think pigs are filthy, but that's not really true" or  "You are sweating like a pig!”

While this phrase is a common insult, the science behind the statement is faulty. Pigs actually have a few sweat glands, which is why they tend to roll in the mud in nature to stay cool. Modern farming practices aim to regulate temperatures in the barn to keep the animals comfortable.

On the contrary they are cleaner than most human. Pigs would never make their sleeping or eating area dirty. If held under proper conditions, pigs are very hygienic actually.  In their pen they use one area for a toilet, one area for their food and one area for sleeping. Pigs must have a warm, dry sleeping area.

During Chinese New Year period, there is usually a lantern festival during the night, and this temple would be a hive of business and activities, as throngs of people from all walks of life would make a visit to see the beautiful and colourful lanterns on display.

The kaleidoscope of colourful and brightly lit lanterns and lights would turn the whole area into a fairyland. It's a fantastic and wonderful experience to stroll around to take in all the sights and sounds. There would be several stalls selling vegetarian food and drinks in the compound of the temple.


At night, the lighting is switching on and the whole atmosphere is different!  'Let The Show Begin'


Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple here greets the year of pig with a splendid 3D light festival themed by Ven Master Hsing Yun for a peaceful and prosperous year.

At nightfall the crowd already packed the courtyard. Tourists slowing down and admire different lantern shape, while some of them will take a picture. Others trying to walk through the pedestrian bottleneck.  Chaotic traffic turns FGS into a pedestrian's nightmare.

Although it is nice to position with fountain lantern side by side,  Zheng He voyages lantern and  Xuanzang 20meter long lantern has caused the pedestrian narrow bottleneck. Perhaps the person in charge of arrangement need to avoid placing this tall and long lantern to give pedestrian flow through wide bottlenecks.

Xuanzang  became a main character in the great Chinese epic Journey to the West.Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. More fun if the lantern with the  four primary novel characters: Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie. 

A wide-angle lens broadens the field of view of your camera, allowing you to take more dramatic landscape shots, or even better photos indoors or in confined spaces. Sadly you will not get a better photo with your own handphone as this place will be crowded with selfie sticks are an annoying obstacle when you're trying to manouvere yourself around crowded tourists.

In ancient time,the largest insects that ever lived are members of the extinct dragonfly-like order Protodonata, which means “early dragonfly.” The largest known species is the Late Permian Meganeuropsis permiana, with wingspans longer than 75 cm (30 in. or 2.5 ft) and an estimated weight of over 450 g (1 lb.), similar to a crow. This is larger than any insect that has ever lived, land- or air-based – the heaviest.

Dragonflies. These insects may look like scary biters, but they are only dangerous to mosquitoes. Dragonfly larvae, “nymphs,” feed on mosquito larvae, and adult dragonflies feed on adult mosquitoes.

The structure just like a scene from Tom Cruise War of the Worlds As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines.

Ven Jue Cheng said the theme ` always well-rounded and auspicious ` signifies smoothness for each visitor. With lights and musical performance, one can feel the joy and hope brought by spring.

The Three Little Pigs and Big Bad Wolf 

This story is about three little pigs, which build home to safeguard them form the Big Bad wolf.  The first little pig built his house out of straw because it was the easiest thing to do.

The second little pig built his house out of wood.  This was a little bit stronger that a straw house.  The third little pig built his house out of bricks.

 The Big bad wolf who learnt that they live separately wishes to eat them up. Easy meat or so he thought.  So he blows the house of straw and wood which forces the first two pigs to take shelter in the brick house.  Then I´ll huff and I´ll puff and I´ll blow your house..

Both were screaming and running helter-skelter for their lives.

The Big bad wolf tries his best to blow the brick house in vain.  The wolf tries in many ways and finally thought he outsmart them by climbs up on the roof and jumps in through a chimney but only to fall straight into the kettle of boiling water, which killed the big bad wolf.  The first two little pigs build a Brick house for them and they live happily without the fear of the wolf.

Now can get a good night's sleep without any disturbance.. zzzz

Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place.

"Well, better late than never."

Many people think those pigs who are fat are generally lazy, dumb and greedy but in fact Pigs are believed to be one of most intelligent animals, following chimps, dolphins, and elephants.  They surpass even man's best friend. So don't say Stupid pig cause they're smart.

The floral lanterns are made of recycle items where penguin lanterns used in previous years are turned into pig themed lanterns.

Aura cleansing is important for a healthy mind, body and spirit and to clearing away negative energies.

 Use meditation technique to accomplish this. Purge out of the negative emotions of greed, anger, jealousy and hate. It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum.

Buddhism strongly recognizes the significance of auras, to such a degree that the colors of the Buddhist flag [blue, yellow, red, white, orange] represent the colors of the aura believed to have emanated from the body of Gautama Buddha when he attained Enlightenment.

How to make a fun, face in hole lantern zodiac face 

 'Stand ins' or 'head/face cut outs' on your preferred Chinese zodiac animals

Sorry, don't know how else to describe them. They are usually painted on plywood, sometimes they're more sculptural. They usually have cartoony people painted on the, but where the faces are supposed to be is a hole and you'r supposed to stand behind it and put your face their so you're the character.

 It's time to go home. So tired I will likely snore like a pig tonight.

"Beam me up, Scotty, the 2019 Flower and Lantern Fest is good, but not as great like last year"

 Mickey Are You Ready To Take Center Stage Next Year?

The Touch City 文化聖城, Melaka

"Have you ever heard of The Touch City?" B: "Hmm, the name doesn't ring a bell.". If you mentioned to others the site formerly known as Auyin Hill then most of you will stir up your memory.

After the centre was closed for more than 10 years because of management problems, it has been given a new breath of life since September 2016 and redeveloped at a cost of RM20mil on a 19.8ha site at Durian Tunggal.

The new rebranded cultural based theme park showcasing the unique culture and lifestyle of the Chinese community besides elements of arts and education.

We made it a family vacation spot on the 30th August, Eve of Merdeka but unfortunately when we reach there we told that the place have revised their opening hours. On Monday to Thursday CLOSED, unless it is public / school holidays. Friday to Sunday 9:00am to 6:00pm. 

A rather awkward situations as  operational hours not on weekdays. If you have happen to browse through 2016 blog you will find it's operational even weekdays. We were told by the security man they only open of Fri- Sunday. He should also recommend us since we go there empty handed why not have lunch at their vegetarian restaurant.Vegetarian restaurant Mun Restaurant is one of the best I've been to but the location quite far away from the Malacca town.

When we return again on Sunday, we saw big space of empty parking at the foothill. This can't be right as it is the weekend. Resorts will need to promote the Touch City as Melaka tourist destination, aggressive packaging strategies and advanced Internet marketing their resort using social media.

Where are the tourist cars or buses? Feeling a bit worried that it's closed again and finding difficulty to find the ticket booth. The management should take a look at this problem. The booth should be clearly visible.

 At the bottom of the walkway of steps I went there but found there's nobody attending the counter, it's more like a store room. Unsure where to go, I keep on walking the long distance walkway steps (the visitor information board name it "Skyway" cause it appear like a sky cloud but in term of walking it's rather not practical).

 Upon reaching the top of walkway finally I can see the tourist direction sign and found the counter. They should think of making another walkway closer to the upper ticket booth for the visitor and elderly convenient.

Ticket counter is located on top. Why the designated visitors' car park sit empty? 

I try to think logically the ticket booth is at the bottom of walkway but I guessed incorrectly. Lack of signboard n directory. 

Hmmm... No idea which Chinese Warrior? My guess is "ZhongKui", Traditional Chinese ethnic culture who was regarded as the most famous Ghost Catcher God in China since Tang dynasty. A fierce-looking statue usually brandishing a magic sword, used to place in Chinese houses in order to scare away evil spirits and demons.  Here you can see from the picture that the statue is holding a spear so I could be wrong?

 For many first-time tourists, they will lost their way. Without the signs visitors may feel insecure and frustrated, as it could be challenging for them to find the right way. This tourist direction should place at the bottom of walkway.

The first attraction.  "TADA!!". The washroom. Howdy Sis.

Why no door lock? As there is no light on inside, I failed to see that the door bolt as it resemble like
a toilet paper holder. 

 I think the price is a bit steep for entry ticket but when you have seen  their awe-inspiring architecture, magnificent facades and sheer size, you know it's worth it. 

 Adult (age 13 - 59): RM36.00; Child (age 7 - 12): RM20.00; Senior Citizen (age 60 above):Rm20.

Admission Rates displayed at ticketing counter

I didn't read this. A brochure with a ribbon was given by gatekeeper at the entrance. Now I know what's for. Ribbon Spell - Write your intentions on ribbons and tie them
 to a wish tree but  which is the tree?

Like a cowboy Ranch Driveway Entrances, it's actually a Chinese word character pronounce as 門 (mén), which mean bring the meaning of door in Chinese. The main door is in fact, Auyin Hill was recorded in Malaysia Book Record as the tallest Feng Shui door in Malaysia.

Their landmark of previous Auyin-Hill Resort is still maintain by the new owner/co-founder, Mr. Chong Wee Chau. By preserving this attraction with the hope to bring nostalgia feel where it could be one of the greatest and memorable visit during the 90’s.

Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pali), is regarded as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist.

Laughing Buddha or Fat Buddha Bodhisattva Maitreya (Chin: Mileh-fo, Jap: Miroku ... is used to express someone who is exceedingly tolerant - has a "big stomach". Isn't it being caring, compassionate, and wearing your emotions on your sleeve are just the start of what it means to have a big heart?

I need to mention this. While walking up using the Skyway passage we notice the view of "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars of Filial Piety" drawings are partially blocked by the the trees. 

Oh Dear! I've just discover we're actually using the wrong walkway in the centre. We should stick to the left side and browse through the “Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars of Filial Piety" drawing which also provide"Concrete wheelchair ramps"  for those disable person wheelchair. Again I must say there is no Tourist sign to remind us to use this way. 

 In Confucian philosophy, filial piety (Chinese: 孝, xiào) begins with the families in which everyone has to respect his parents. Repayment, family harmony, respect, obligation, and sacrifice are the traditional meanings of filial piety.

The Green Dragon signify power and status. A  Mini-Me if compared with the dragon of Yong Peng but this dragon blow smoke like a breathing dragon. Cool...

Chinese astrology is based on the Chinese calendar. People born in an animal's year are supposed to inherit its characteristics. Eg this year zodiac year of the dog, some of the animal's characteristics, such as loyalty, patience and and reliability.

What's my Chinese zodiac sign? The seventh of all zodiac animals.  Horse symbolizes such character traits as strength, energy, and an outgoing nature. "Hell yeah!" "Yeehaw!" 

This giant tourist information board should have one at the Vistors Parking Spaces.

 Once inside tourists  may want to wander into the park, overlook information provided. Remember that you're in a spacious park. Once you missed a tourist attraction sight, it's hard to go back due to the far apart walking distance from one another.

This 7 tier Pagoda which is recognized as a temple of knowledge, peace and silence and also a symbol of path of wisdom, is a Feng Shui enhancer and cure to bestow literary luck, fame luck, career luck and protection. The Pagoda is also believed to possess the power to ward off evils and bad chi.

Hi-Ya! He Who Needs No Introduction. I wanted to try this high kick but afraid my pants 
will ripped in half.

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. 

Bruce Lee

Ultimately , there's only one thing that really matters: you remain true to yourself and love ... If you do things right, there will still be people who hate you. 

Wing Chun? (played by Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh in 1994 action movie)

Wing Chun is a very unique and effective martial art. It is the only martial art created and made famous by a woman.

Don't hold your pee. I think he has the urge to go to the bathroom. 

Going Round In The Shape Of A Figure Eight. Aiya no stepping stone in grass to get to other side.



Everybody was kung-fu fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing..

Here's a nice pond around a yin and yang symbol, featuring a giant Red Opera mask statue spitting water in a fountain. Used On Red Masks Indicates A Positive Character. Red Can Also Mean Prosperity, Loyalty, Courage And Heroism. Red Shows Intelligence And Bravery.

Bird eyeview of Pagoda of Wisdom

Love Comes In All Shapes And Sizes.

The Flaming and Snowy Phoenix

Rebirth and hope are its attributes.

Snow attributed phoenix is the fourth most powerful phoenix. It brings snow (breath out) and froze (breath in). Fire phoenix represent reborn and hope; Snow phoenix represents motherly nature and purity.

Two Heavenly members fall in love with each other and punished by Jade Emperor to be two restrictive attributes of phoenix. They can only see each other distantly. The love depicted implies The Touch City hope of bringing respect towards the sense of love.

In ancient Indian art, the Buddha Shakyamuni was not represented as a person but as a stupa. The stupas built with relics and other holy objects that they collected from the Buddha’s cremation.

Lung Yin Dragon – The Imperial Dragon

The idea of the creation came from the founder. 

The founder first dream of a dragon flying to the sky, and this has create enormous motivation and drive to build a dragon sculpture.

 Most dragons in the mainstream media in the West are terrors and evil while the Chinese have different views. By contrast, the Chinese dragon is an auspicious creature, symbolizing strength, wisdom, good luck and power over the elements of wind and water.

Ancient Chinese believed they were descendants of the dragon (龍的傳人). 

Lü Shang (Chinese: 呂尚; fl. 11th century BC), commonly known as Jiang Ziya (姜子牙) and Jiang Shang (姜尚), was an ancient Chinese military strategist 

Jiang Ziya, the great general and strategist and military mastermind who was key to establishing the Zhou Dynasty, was said to have spent years in his old age fishing. His unconventional methods of fishing by using a straight hook, or no bait, or with his hook dangling above the water.

The future king walked by everyday and saw this old fisherman fishing with a hookless rod. One day,  finally his curiosity compelled him to go to him and have a good chat with the old man.

 The Old Man told him, "I am not fishing for fish, but I am fishing for man." You see, this old man is waiting for the right person to come along. Nowadays, there is a saying that Lord Jiang goes fishing simply implies that " those who wants to get caught, gets caught. "

 After Jiang Ziya became the general, he was known as "Taigong", or "the Grand Duke". The degree to which this qualifies as a myth is open to question, but it is certainly a well-known motif.

Park Big Bird Cage named Bird's Paradise

It's amazing, birds are very friendly and domestic.Most of the birds are not in cages, and you can take really good pictures.

Here birdy birdy birdy!  Feeding birds provided an unprecedented opportunity to interact with wildlife.Watching birds feeding out from your hand can be a rewarding experience. Moments after one bird accepted food from your hand, the rest will come. Hopes it doesn't poop on you.

Bird poop brings good luck! There is a belief that if a bird poops on you, your car or your property, you may receive good luck and riches. The more birds involved, the richer you'll be! So next time a bird poops on you, remember that it's a good thing.

Love Birds chatting at their private condominium nest box

 Parakeets make lively, attractive companions with their bright plumage and happy chirping.

Inside the park giant bird cage.

 Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, water and a disinfectant before entering the bird cage area. You will also step on an unique mat for disinfecting your boots and shoes located just inside the entrance before entering a premises. Before leaving the cage you need to repeat the steps for hygenic purpose.

We do love the bird park and the rabbit park. They let the birds fly freely around us.Wonderful to see the flock of birds take flight and their impressive flying maneuvers.

 Awesome!


Males are known as peacocks and females as peahens. Females have white bellies, while males' bellies are the same blue as the rest of their plumage.

 Not Tonight Honey, I Have a Headache

Male peacocks fan their colourful rear feathers and shake them, to attract the attention of the lady birds(peahens).

Life is not fair. Why is a male peacock more beautiful
 than a female when it is usually the other way?

What's Up, Doc?  Rabbits are social animals and love to play with their people especially kids but...

Poor Rabbits.  Too many sudden gestures and a lack of gentle handling could hurt them and cause them to feel anxious.We often see rabbits become more stressed when they are around children. This is because children are less conscious and careful of their actions around animals and so can scare them more easily.

My Suggested Route is simply a nice walk covering the left after walking towards the Green Dragon. After finished covering the left side attraction you should be hungry now. Walk to the blissfully air conditioned Cultural Promenade to cool off after a hot day tour which shows you the history of Melaka and the Peranakan people through the medium of 3D art photography.

Try the Mun restaurant - the vegetarian cuisine were superb

For those who want a great meal without entering the park can use the direct road and proceed through the right Fort's Collosal Door.

Visitor who wants to visit park cannot use this way. The Fort's Collosal Door on the left is reserved for the Park Staff only,  while the right door exclusive to Mun Restaurant.

Malacca Historical in 3D Art Exhibition

Stroll inside the air conditioned Cultural Promenade which shows you some of the history of Melaka and the Peranakan people by the means of 3D art photography. Beautiful painted, you can use your imagination as an observer makes your own interpretation of the artwork.

 Visitors themselves become part of the art by simply posing infront of the many 3D paintings and taking pictures, interact with this and become part of history. It’s also provide information with detailed information boards.

There is a vegetarian restaurant where you can have your meals after exploring the vast area when exit from Cultural Promenade.

 Land ho!A phrase said by shipmen when they sight land. 
 Land was sighted. 1421: The Year China Discovered America. Legend says, Cheng Ho(Zheng He) may have discovered America 70 years before Christopher Columbus.

Standing seven feet tall, Admiral Zheng He towered over his crew at the prow of his legendary treasure ship.(宝船, Bǎo Chuán)

Treasure Boat (Bao-Chuan) is a type of ocean going Chinese Junk which was the largest wooden ships ever built (30 times larger than the Christopher Columbus' flagship, Santa Maria.)

Zheng He's treasure ships were enormous, with nine masts and four decks capable of accommodating more than 500 passengers, as well as a massive amount of cargo.

Cheng Ho Cultural Museum- located near 
the entrance of Jonker Street 

Zheng He's journeys took him to 37 countries over 28 years as part of the mightiest fleet that ever sailed, with 300 ships and 28,000 sailors. Setting out six centuries ago on the first of seven landmark voyages, he reached south-east Asia, India, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and as far as the east coast of Africa. Some say he may even have made it to America.

From as early as the 16th Century, when migrants travelled from their home country to Malaya, some began to adopt the local culture and inter-married with the locals.

The term Baba is an honorific term for a Peranakan male. Strictly speaking a Peranakan-Chinese Baba is a descendant of a Chinese who has had long residence in the Straits, as opposed to the local-born children of nineteenth century Chinese immigrants. Nyonya is term given to a Peranakan female.

The Baba Nyonya are rich in cultural heritage, arts and fashion. A Pak Chindek, and a Sang Kek Um (the wedding masters and mistresses respectively) are most often required because traditions become so elobrate which takes 12 days because of the many rituals and process to be observed.

The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is located at No. 48-50 along Jalan Tun Cheng Lock in Malacca. That's as far we are allowed to snap a picture. Absolutely no photo or video beyond this point. 

By preserving this house for tourist and students with the hope to honour the Peranakan spirit, keeping it alive for many generations to come! The house was well maintained, beautiful and has been passed down from 10 generations.

However it left a bad taste. Photography and videography are not allowed within the museum. Dear Owners: What's your side of the story? I can foresee 99% who filled the visitor feedback form will complain/grumble about the strict no photography policy.

All's Well, Ends Well. Is this a Hotel or Museum? 

We had our incredible nyonya lunch at the The Kapitan Kongsi Hotel and Restaurant during our stay at Melaka town. The hotel is nostalgically housed in Porto Historia, a modern built architecture masterpiece inspired from the late "Straits" Eclectic style between 1910's and 1940's.

Kapitan Kongsi Boutique Hotel owner also an avid collector of Peranakan antiquities, and was very eager to share his priceless collction. The lobby is full of baba nyonya type of furniture and also few classic bikes on display purpose only.

Best of all he's not a stingy person. There's no admission fee here! No ban on photography, people taking pictures all they want.

My exaggerated sis posing, copying Tunku's cries of Merdeka! It is coincidentally happening  on the  30th August, Eve of Merdeka. 

Freedom! Attack Attack! Glory glory Man united, Glory glory Man united, Glory glory Man united, As the reds go marching on!

Bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh. Perlu menjadi pegangan hidup masyarakat Malaysia. "United we stand, divided we fall" is a phrase used in many different kinds of mottos, most often to inspire unity and collaboration.

There are a few stories how Melaka got it's name. This is the most famous..
Look there my king. The cute little Mouse deer kicking the hunting dog into river!

Anyway, according to Legend this is how the story goes...The last king of Singapore (known as Temasek in the past meaning 'Sea Town' or 'Sea Port') was defeated in one Majapahit naval attack in 1398 and  fled north to scout for a new piece of land.

While taking shelter and resting under a tree, he witnessed a strange face off confrontation. During a hunting trip, one of his dogs cornered a mouse deer or known locally as Sang Kancil.  In desperate retaliation, the mouse deer kicked the dog on its nose.
The Indian prince was so impressed by mousedeer’s had the guts to fight back.

That encounter give him an inspiration to stir him up, urging him to never give up hope even when the chips are down.

Chinese Proverbs said: "Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up."

 Learning from the observations, he take the cue as a good omen to build his new kingdom. Later, he asked a local what's the name of this place?

The local misunderstood him, what he thought were the name of the tree replied that it was called Malacca.

Parameswara decided to established a new kingdom and name the state as Malacca which based from the name of that tree.

If you want to see how a Melaka tree looks like it can be found at Tan Kim Hock Product Centre in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho. 

Within decades, the new city grew rapidly and became a wealthy hub of international commercial activity. A bustling, cosmopolitan port in Southeast Asia which later attracts as much envy as it attracts admiration of other nations.

Chinese Etiquette: Fist and palm salute.  It was very popular in Qing Dynasty but now will appear only when meeting friends and relatives, paying visit to someone or in Chinese Spring Festival Celebration. 

For centuries, China has been known with various formal greeting etiquettes in ancient China. Among them the fist and palm salute is quite classic one.  Noted that in history, for male Chinese people they considered the left as the important  and honorable side.  If you are female, the honorble side is the right, and you should do the fist palm salute the other way which should be right-hand on the top.

Hang Li Po (Chinese: 漢麗寶; pinyin: Hàn Lìbǎo, or Wang Lìbǎo) was believed to be the fifth wife of Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah (reigned 1456-1477). She was bestowed with the Title Hang by the Sultan for her adoption of Malay Customs. She was supposedly daughter of a Ming Emperor Yong Le to marry the reigning Sultan of Melaka, Sultan Mansur Shah in order to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

The Legendary Hang Li Poh's Well (Malay: Perigi Hang Li Poh), also known as King's Well, is a historical water well situated in Bukit Cina. It's is said that this well never dries up even during the drought.

Sam Po Kong temple is located at the foot of Bukit Cina in Melaka. The temple was built around 1795 by Kapitan Tsai Shih Chang (Kapitan is the chief of an ethnic community during the Dutch ruling era) and is dedicated to the pantheon of Malaysia and Singapore, Tua Pek Kong.It is adjacent to the Melaka Warrior Monument and Hang Li Poh’s Well

It is disputed whether Hang Li Po ever existed, as she was never recorded in the Ming Chronicles, nor in the genealogical record of the imperial house of Zhu, the royal family of the Ming dynasty. Prof Khoo: No record of the existance of Princess Hang Li Po; its a myth ... facts instead of myths and legends.

If you're not sure on how to pose, the artist will give you some idea.

Brief explanation of what the 3D interactive art is about provided 

Many Buddha statues are seen where the Buddha is depicted in meditation pose sheltered by a Naga snake. 

The Buddhist naga has the form of a great cobra, usually depicted with a single head but sometimes with many heads. The naga which is seen sheltering the Buddha while meditating is known as Mucilanda. Mucilanda is believed to have protected the Buddha from the elements like rain and storm after he attained enlightenment.

It is believed that the four weeks after the Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi tree, the heavens darkened for seven days, a heavy rainfall began to pour. The mighty king of the serpents, Mucilanda- the large cobra snake then is said to have emerged from beneath the earth and protected the Buddha with his hood from the monsoon rains.

When the storm stopped, the serpent king Mucilanda assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha and returned to his palace in joy. The iconographic representation of this Buddhist folklore is known as the Naga Buddha statues.

Keanu Reeves convincing portrayal of Buddha in 1993 Italian-French-British drama film,"Little Buddha".  2,600 years ago people reported that they had seen a large king cobra with its hood spread, like an umbrella, shielding the Buddha from the rain.

The Chinese in the olden days pasted the painting of Door Gods on their main door, with the imposing and fierce looking figures hoping will ward off evil spirits. Scary looking ain't he?

One of the legend on Door Gods comes from a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Wu Cheng-en, the emperor murdered many people on his rise to power. The emperor was unable to sleep peacefully,tormented by the guilt he begin to hear eerie disturbances of spirit outside his palace chamber at night.

 When his two generals Chin and Yu-Chih volunteered to stand guard outside his palace entrance, the strange sounds ceased and the emperor no longer felt disturbed. Worried that his general cannot keep awake every night during their long duration, he came up with a brilliant idea. He instructed picture of them to be hung on the door entrance and the replacement guardian worked as well the actual sentinels.

The most famous rock song of all time, "Stairway To Heaven" came into my mind

Climbing a flight of stairs uses more muscles than the simple act of walking. I think I'll sit this one out.


Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. Where can they find such a big doors to accommodate the drawing?

Mom and sis do a high 5 in front of Eng Choon Association Menshen Door nearby Jonker Street

 camera-shy deities

Heavenly Supreme Incense. The famous Incense can be seen from afar

The creation of the Largest Incense in The Touch City is to mark the human pay homage to the gods,expressed gratitude and respect to the heaven in giving us peace and harmony.

We also known this Heavenly Supreme Incense depicting its specialty in terms of its size and it could hardly be found in elsewhere in the world except in The Touch City.

Either side of the Hall, there is a long flight of stairs of ‘Stairway to Heaven’, which leads to the Heavenly Supreme Incense. I must say it's a hot day and I did not attempt the climb, so regretfully, I missed out on what might be arguably  world’s largest sculpture of a joss stick. My sis and brother in law however did reached the top level.

Next to the temple sits the first truly colossal sculpture of Guord but not idea what this is intended to mean?

Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets particularly in the funerary complexes of its later emperors and to commemorate important events, such as an imperial visit or the anniversary of a World War II victory.

A stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected in the ancient world as a monument.

A  dragon turtle (龙龟, Lóngguī) is a legendary Chinese creature that combines two of the four celestial animals of Chinese mythology: the body of a turtle with a dragon is promoted as a positive ornament in Feng Shui, symbolizing courage, determination, fertility, longevity, power, success, and support.

Bixi, or Bi Xi (Wade–Giles: Pi-hsi), is a figure from Chinese mythology.Eldest of the 9 sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle.

Dragon Turtle in The Touch City unveil the vision statement of The Touch City Founder that was crafted on its stone tablet that emphasizes on importance of living in unity, sincerity, and kindness. It is believed these are the core values to build a peaceful and harmonic living.

After lunch at Mun Restaurant we continue our tour towards the park attraction, we go through a well-lighted man made cave tunnel. When we emerge from the cave, we felt as if we had passed into another world.

Upon arrival in car park, we can see dark clouds on the horizon, we're so sure the rain will spoil our visit. I'd say it's a good omen for the rest of the day with the sudden disappearance of threatening clouds from the sky. 

Around the waterfalls, we can also found a majestic standing tall and serene garden Kuan Yin Goddess sculpture. 

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. When I first saw the back of statue was facing me but when I take a second look she was facing me.  Surprised! Oh blimey I just realized it was a rotating Goddess Kuan Yin statue.

My suggestion of enhance realistic is to add water pouring out from Goddess vase.

Little Buddha. Babies learn to point between 12 and 18 months old. Babies point to call your attention to something or to communicate non verbal that they want something but Prince Siddharta almost immediately from birth.

After walking for 7-steps when he was born, both of his fingers pointed up and down indicating his hope. His hope to be the teacher for every mankind. From this figurine, we wish to bring up the importance of sincerity and perseverance.

As he took his seventh step, with a finger pointing to the sky and another finger to the ground, the prince uttered a gatha, which could be summarized as follows:

                                                 “In all of Heaven and Earth,

                                                  I am the only one worthy of honor.

                                                  I will liberate mankind from

                                                  Birth, Old age, Sickness, and Death.” 

The lotuses that bloomed at each step of baby Buddha symbolize birth as well as pure and sacred self-cultivation, like the lotus that is never stained by mud. 

A pond with seven concrete lotus stepping stone represent when seven steps forward and at each step a lotus flower appeared on the ground. Two more dragons waited at the base of the waterfall with spitting water out from their mouth.I've lost count of how many dragons featured here.

When Siddhartha was born from the right side of his mother Mahadevi, five-colored lotus flowers in full bloom covered the ground around her, and lotuses sprang up from the ground to support the baby’s feet. The baby Buddha then walked seven steps in the four cardinal directions, and at each step appeared a pure and beautiful lotus blossom. 

A bird's-eye view of rotating Kuan Yin Goddess

Chinese three wise men are Fuk, luk, Sau called Chinese gods or fu lu shou. Three gods are the popular deities of wealth, Prosperity, and Longevity.

Overall, I  enjoyed every moment of my time spent at the Touch City and there were definitely loads of things to see but there is still room for improvement.

Address：

MC 13, Simpang Gading, Durian Tunggal, 76100 Melaka.

GPS Coordinates：   

2°19'48.7"N 102°19'03.6"E

Contact Number:

012-635 4303

06-553 0000

Operational Hours:

Mon

Closed

Tue

Closed

Wed

Closed

Thu

Closed

Fri

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sat

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sun

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

*Free parking for all vehicles.