Thean Kong Thnuah Temple or Jade Emperor God Temple (also known as Thni Kong Tnua, ) is a Chinese temple located at the foot of Penang Hill in Air Itam, Penang. Completed in 1869, it is the only temple in Malaysia built specifically for the worship of the Jade Emperor (Hokkien: Thinn-kong) and becomes a focal point for the annual Jade Emperor's Birthday celebrations on the 9th day of Chinese New Year.
The temple was featured in Episode 8 of The Amazing Race 16.
History
The temple was built in the 1860s by members of the ethnic Chinese Hokkien community in Malaysia and underwent a restoration beginning in 2002.
Features
The temple is located at the foot of Penang Hill and is surrounded by lush greenery. The path leading up to the temple features a flight of stairs with 110 granite steps and its archway is decorated with century-old stone carvings. The temple's architecture is a combination of both Buddhist and Taoist styles. In the first shrine hall, there are three gold-plated Buddha statues while the Jade Emperor God sits in the main shrine hall.