Penang, Malaysia

My selection of postcards for today is quite a random mix - now moving on to Asia, namely Malaysia. I received this postcard from a tag earlier this year and simply adore it, it's such a colourful card with lots of fascinating little details. ...and it's a Unesco site as well!

Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. It is composed of two parts – Penang Island, where the seat of government is, and Seberang Perai (formerly, and occasionally Province Wellesley) on the Malay Peninsula. Highly urbanised and industrialised Penang is one of the most developed and economically important states in the country, as well as a thriving tourist destination. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language, and confessions. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

On this postcard you can see the Kek Lok Si Temple, a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and one of the best known temples on the island. The temple is heavily commercialised with shops at every level and inside the main temple complexes. Mahayana Buddhism and traditional Chinese rituals blend into a harmonious whole, both in the temple architecture and artwork as well as in the daily activities of worshippers.