Light and shadow-Thean Hou temple by day

The big bright red lanterns displayed at Thean Hou temple were so colourful. Many visitors were attracted to come to take photos during the day and even in the night.. Many Chinese worshippers were also there praying to the Goddess Thin Hou to bless them with good health, prosperity and good luck.

The blazing afternoon sun was directly on my head as I was going up to take some photos of the colourful lanterns and people offering their players in the temple. ’It was then I realized that it was much more than just the beauty of the lanterns itself that was drawing my eye. It was the interplay of light and shadow, creating a pattern of a series of black circle of the lanterns on the floor in front of the temple.

I am not the type of serious photographers specialized in light and shadow photography, who work with light to define the subject, and seek shadow to conceal it. They take maximum advantage of the “golden hours” at dawn and dusk to bathe their images in the beauty of rich, warm colour.

I took these photos and I hope you all like it. I would like to come back here to continue shooting the thean Hou temple with red lanterns display at night

World Press Photo of the Year 2007

Many of you will have seen the World Press Photo of the Year 2007 by
now.

The international jury of the 51st annual World Press Photo Contest
selected a color image of the UK photographer Tim Hetherington as
World Press Photo of the Year 2007.

The picture was taken 16 September 2007 and shows a US soldier resting at “Restrepo” bunker, named after a soldier from his platoon who was recently killed by insurgents. The 2nd Battalion Airborne of the 503rd US infantry is undergoing a deployment in the Korengal Valley in the Eastern province of Afghanistan. The valley is infamous as the site of
downing of a US helicopter and has seen some of the most intense
fighting in the country.

Hetherington’s photograph is part of a picture story that was also
awarded 2nd Prize in General News Stories. He had traveled to
Afghanistan on assignment for Vanity Fair.

“This image shows the exhaustion of a man – and the exhaustion of a
nation,” says jury chairman Gary Knight, and adds “We’re all
connected to this. It’s a picture of a man at the end of a line.”

Fellow juror MaryAnne Golon commented: “I use all my energy to have
people notice bad things. There’s a human quality to this picture. It
says that conflict is the basis of this man’s life.”

Click here and enjoy the award winning photos.

New Year Greeting from Thean Hou Temple

My nephews and nieces visited me on the seventh day of the lunar new year and they invited me to visit the Thean How temple. I felt a bit tired as we had just come back from Ipoh but my wife showed interest as she has not been to the temple .

The picturesque Buddhist Thean Hou Temple was built in 1987 and has become a pilgrimage site of sorts for Taoists during Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival and on wedding days.

The Thean Hou Temple situated in the Robson Heights along Lorong Bellamy, overlooking Jalan Syed Putra (Federal Highway). It is dedicated to the patron Goddess Thean Hou of the Hainanese community.

We reached there at almost afternoon and the weather was hot. I can see a number of tour buses and some visitors mostly chinese were taking photos of the twelve animals of Chinese astrology at the temple. There are couples come there to register for the marriage

The landscape of lantern displayed were colorful and attracted many visitors to take photos for remembrance. Many chinese were seen there for prayer hoping the Goddess Thin Hou will bless them good health, prosperity and good luck in return.

It is more than a place of worship and has grown into a popular tourist destination. There are always activities such as the grand birthday celebrations for Goddess Thin Hou, Goddess Kuan Yin and the Goddess of the Waterfront are conducted at Thean Hou temple.

Buddhist activities include Dharma Prayers and Wesak Day celebrations. Cultural activities include the annual Moon cake Festival during the eighth lunar month and the Chinese New Year celebration.

The Thean Hou temple also offers fortune telling and marriage registration services. Traditional Chinese exercise and martial arts activities such as Qigong, tai-chi and wushu classes are also conducted there.