THE RARE BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN MALAYSIA HAS THE TALLEST PAGODAS IN THE WORLD

You may picture nations like China or Thailand when you think of magnificent pagodas, but did you know that Malaysia is home to one of the biggest pagodas in the world? Over 12 acres make up the Enlightenment Heart Buddhist Temple complex, which is tucked away in a valley outside of Ipoh. A 13-story, 236-foot-tall, impressively designed pagoda sits at the centre.

We have an inside glimpse at the striking building and the Tibetan Buddhist Temple complex, which was established in 1976, thanks to YouTuber London Liu. Viewers can enter the light-filled, colourful interior of the Enlightenment Heart Buddhist Temple through her video tour, which features massive columns that, in her words, "reach skyward like stilts holding up the heavens." After that, Liu heads to the eighth story to display the magnificent gold Buddha statue that faces a wall of windows overlooking the valley. Amazingly, Ge Li Rinpoche was the only initiator of this amazing structure. He offered us his luxurious home life so we could learn Nyingma Tibetan Buddhism. He was once known as Yong Sifu.

The driver Liu, who was called to take her back to the city, casually revealed that Rinpoche was his neighbour in what can only be described as a small world moment. The pagoda's surroundings are just as striking. The complex is filled with over 200 sculptures and carvings, prayer wheels, and flags.

They typically follow a colour palette that honours the four elements: yellow (earth), green (water), red (fire), white (air), and blue (sky), according to one blogger.

The temple complex is a must-see for anyone visiting the colonial city of Ipoh; it is rarely crowded outside of specific holidays. Wesak Day, a public holiday in Malaysia that is often observed in late May or early June and on which Buddhists in Malaysia commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha, is its busiest day.