Potential tourist site needs funds for road upgrading

Magnificent view: A nearby Tibetan Buddhist temple, known as Jingang Jing She to the locals, as seen from the top of the 13-storey Medicine Buddha pagoda at the Enlightened Heart Buddhist Centre in Ampang, Ipoh.

The 13-storey Medicine Buddha pagoda at the Enlightened Heart Buddhist Centre in Ampang is supposed to have put Perak on the world map of famous Buddhist sites.

Completed in 2007 after more than 10 years of construction, the RM6mil structure is said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

Measuring at 72.5m tall, the pagoda offers a panoramic view of Tambun with its limestone hills and pomelo farms and even the Perak Trade & Technology Centre building, located about 15km away.

It also houses an 11.5m-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which is placed on the ninth floor and strikes an imposing figure even from afar, besides the many rolling Tibetan Buddhist sutra bells and delicately painted artwork detailing the rich mythology of Buddhism.

Despite its many attractions, the 33-year-old Tibetan Buddhist centre itself, touted as one of the largest Tibetan-tradition Buddhist temples in the country, is still unknown to many, including for the locals.

The centre’s abbot, Ge Li Rinpoche, said many people had no idea about the place due to the very few signboards leading to it. The only access road to the 2.5ha site, he said, was also obscure and in poor condition. “We had wanted to upgrade the road but are unable to do so due to lack of funds.

Ornate ceiling: A interior view of the 13-storey Medicine Buddha pagoda as seen from the ground floor.

“We are hoping that the state government will help us out, as the pagoda has potential to be a major tourist attraction and not just as a religious centre,” said Ge Li, 72. A visit to the centre by The Star found that the place was quiet and peaceful, with very few visitors.

Chan Pooi Yoong, a volunteer at the centre, said the busiest time of the year was on Wesak Day and the annual Medicine Buddha Puja in November.

“That is the only time when devotees and visitors to the place actually number in the hundreds, perhaps a thousand. “On normal days, the centre is visited by only a trickle of devotees. “Occasionally, shutterbugs would come for the pagoda’s colourful religious architecture and nice surrounding view,” said Chan, a farmer in Tambun.

Cheong Kuen Leion, a 32-year-old IT engineer from Kuala Lumpur, was spotted at the centre with his family but even then, their visit was by chance. “We were looking for pomelo stalls but the global positioning system (GPS) led us to the centre instead.

“I never knew of such a place and certainly did not expect to find such a tall pagoda here. “It is actually bigger and taller than the famous pagoda at Penang’s Kek Lok Si Temple,” said Cheong, adding that it was a shame that not many knew of the place.

-thestar online.