The Jade Dragon Temple or the the Yu Lung San Tien En Si Temple (玉龍山天恩寺) is located 27 km away from Sibu town. It is believed to be the largest not only in Malaysia but in South-east Asia as well, comprising 3 different forms of practice under one roof – Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
The colourful wall fronting the main Sibu-Mukah/Bintulu & Miri road has a nice dragon design…
…on top.
There are a few big temples inside including this one…
…and this one…
…for instance, and other interesting structures…
…and arches…
…and pavilions…
…all over the sprawling compound and some intricate carvings (or carved tiles) and lovely paintings…
…here and there…
There is also this circle of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac/horoscope surrounding a feng shui ball…
Probably, there is a fountain in the middle but it was not turned on when we were there that morning.
I did mention in an earlier post that we would drive past every Sunday when we sent our girl back to her school some 99 km away from Sibu but we never stopped by despite having heard a lot about this place of interest. That was why when my blogger friend, Nick, from Sungai Petani in Kedah, was here, I took the chance to come here on a visit.
If I am not wrong, this had been earmarked as a must-visit for tourists to Sibu but when I looked around at the place, I was somewhat disappointed by the dire need for good and proper maintenance. Some of the tiles had come off or were cracked or badly stained and there was some litter here and there. The toilets were obviously hardly ever used, not exactly dirty but I would not say they were very clean – as a matter of fact, the one that my missus used was not functioning properly – there was no water in the tank.
I don’t know if there is a permanent staff there to look after these things – I did see some building material and equipment being dumped all over the place but there wasn’t anybody working other than the two guys who were giving the wall a new coat of paint. 2017 being Visit Sibu Year, the authorities concerned should get into action quickly to spruce up the place so that it…
…would be truly a place worth visiting while one is in Sibu.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
This temple will be great for photography. Love your photos. They are so vibrant. Can’t see the flaws at all. Too bad the toilet is not too clean. I am very afraid of dirty toilets.
The toilets were not dirty, just that it seemed that they had not been used for a long time, not nice and fresh like well-maintained toilets…and one would have to walk so far in and down some steps some more. I can imagine somebody in an “emergency” having to go all the way.
I took the photos from angles to avoid those not-so-presentable parts – I think you can see the building material, those rusty metal rods in the last pic, bottom right.
Beautiful temples. Will make a great spot for tourist.
Lovely place. I do hope the people concerned will look into the proper maintenance of the place.
Beautiful photos and paintings! And I love the skies in your photos, too!
Yes, it was a beautiful sunny day that day.
Despite what you said about the maintenance, it’s a very nice temple. The paintings are beautiful.
Yes. I always thought it was a beautiful and impressive place when I drove past every Sunday. So disappointed that it has not been well maintained. Would be real sad if it were just left to rot.
Gosh, I hadn’t heard about this temple before or known about its existence. It’s really beautiful, I love the intricate design and the vibrant colours. It must have been a real labour of love to build. And from your pics, the structures actually look quite well-maintained from a distance!
That reminds me of my teenage days and what we used to remark when we met some hot chicks ‘ “Nice from far but when near, far from nice!” Muahahahaha!!! We were so mean, weren’t we? The good ol’ days!
I dunno if many devotees drop by here since it is a little bit out of town – maybe that is why there is this sad neglect of the place. Most would go to the ones in the town proper, especially the one with the seven-storey pagoda, always a lot of people going there.
A very beautiful temple…
It is. Just needs regular care and maintenance.
A lovely place with potential. Pity it has not been maintained. I hope the wealthy will pour in some money and the Sibu Tourism Board will promote it. A bit tricky if there is no community spirit.
I dunno why they built this place, maybe as a tourist attraction? Or to open up new areas for development…like our airport. Mostly jungle all around but lately, there have been some construction – houses and shops along the way, not so remote and desolate as before any longer.
The devotees need to chip in, perhaps…or some of those community service organisations can organise some campaigns to spruce up the place.
Very nice place and great photos. Very exotic, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your compliments, and thanks for dropping by and commenting. Cheers!!!
What wonderful colors and artwork!
Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!
Most welcome. Glad you like the snapshots!