Perak Cave Temple, Ipoh Overview

A Buddhist temple built into a limestone hill at Gunung Tasek, 6km north of the centre, where a golden seated Buddha of about 12.8m fills the main chamber and Chinese murals and calligraphy cover the rock walls behind it. The reason to allow an hour rather than twenty minutes is the stairway behind the cave: roughly 450 steps climb through the hill to an open platform looking over the Kinta Valley and the limestone outcrops around Ipoh. Free, with a donation box at the entrance.

One interesting feature of Perak Cave Temple is the staircase of 358 steps behind the main alter, lined with pavilions and gazebos. The view from the top is spell-binding. Another flight of 400 stairs leads to a double-storey pavilion. The colorful murals on the walls depicts events and characters from the Chinese folklore and Buddhist scriptures.

Structure and Layout of Perak Cave Temple

Built into a limestone hill, the architecture of Perak Cave Temple is absolutely fascinating.

Its main hall actually being a huge cave is an interesting element.
The red and white exterior set in the gorgeous landscape is picture perfect.
The walls are adorned with hand-painted frescoes depicting Chinese mythological events, characters, Buddhist scriptures and also Chinese calligraphy.
Infused with the fragrance of incense all over, the temple has several magnificent golden statues.
A 40-feet tall Budhha statue surrounded by 4 guardian deities add grandeur to the temple.
Outside, there's a lush garden with a pond in the middle and here the 18-armed statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, greets the visitors.
A flight of 358 steps behind leads to a vantage point offering the best views of the landscape.

How to Reach Perak Cave Temple

The Perak Cave Temple can be reached via the North-South Expressway. The temple is located at a walking distance from exit no. 14 of Ipoh Utara Interchange. One can also take a taxi/GRAB from Ipoh. It will take around 20 minutes to reach here. Another option is to take the bus no. 35 heading to Kuala Kangsar. Car parking facility is available and it costs around RM 1-2.