Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, Kuala Lumpur Overview

The famous Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is the oldest Taoist temple located in Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur. Built in 1864, the temple is dedicated to the worship of two supreme deities Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, from the time of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy. He claimed that the deities helped him earn Kapitan status during the 1870’s war. The temple has a large main hall with two side halls along with intricate roof ridges, glorious interiors, and the majestic memorial plaque of Chan Sow Lin, Yap Ah Shak, Yap Ah Loy, and Yap Kwan Seng.

Showcasing Chinese traditional culture through its Feng Shui architecture, the age-old practices like offering prayers to the White Tiger deity, praying under the chairs, and also the well-known fortune-telling sticks - all are still prevalent in Sin Sze Si Ya Temple. Also known as Sze Yah Temple, it is widely known in Malaysia for the elaborate charity work since 1907. Visitors from around the world visit the temple especially during the Chinese New Year, to witness its aura.

1. Fortune Telling

One of the most prevalent practices of the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is fortune-telling, which is considered a holy practice, carried on from the 19th century. Here, the devotees engage in rattling a box f (Read More)illed with the fortune sticks until one stick falls off from the box. The sticks are also known as Kao Chim, which decide the fortune. Staff members of the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple are present there to help the visitors to interpret the prophecies and translate the messages at just RM 1.

2. Architecture

The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is one of the 13 temples in the peninsular region of Malaysia, for the worship of Xian Shi Ye, depicting Chinese traditions and cultures in Kuala Lumpur. Built by the craftsma (Read More)n of southern China, the temple compound has ornamented roof ridges, one elaborate main hall, and two adjacent side halls for devotees. The temple entrance displays two 100-year-old sedan chairs which talk about the glorious past of the temple cultures. Covered with decorated panels and open-air pavilions, the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple structure is one of the very few remaining old monuments existing in Kuala Lumpur today.

3. History

Standing as one of the oldest monuments in Kuala Lumpur, Sin Sze Si Ya Temple was built by Yap Ah Loy in the honour of Kapitan Shin Kap of Sungei Ujong. It is believed that Yap Ah Loy had a dream from (Read More) Shin Sungei to venture into Kuala Lumpur for a better future. During the time of the Civil war, the temple was built to bring good fortune and good luck to the people of Kuala Lumpur, acting as a medium of religious and community engagement. Built-in a good Feng Shui location of Kuala Lumpur, the two temple deities are not traditional deities from the Chinese traditions. Rather, in Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, the deities have emerged from the local population namely Sheng Meng Li and Chung Lai who had the merit, escalating to the status of patron deities.