Returning back to Georgetown, Penang, in 1989 I happened across a temple as I wandered the city. I've no idea where this particular temple was. This is a scan of a slide.
I was always struck by the ornate roof decorations of these buildings. Like the great cathedrals in Europe, there's a lot of attention to detail in these places of worship, and also an air of decay.
The two kettles-on-wheels in the courtyard are for offerings. There were small fires in each one and you can see how that has hastened the corrosion of the steel. The two lions or ‘Shishi' indicate this is a Chinese temple. The one closest is the male since he has his paw on a ball. The ball is said to represent the world. Since Shishi have been around since the Han Dynasty (206 BC AD 220) this suggests that the Chinese knew the world was a sphere long before the west got comfortable with that idea! The female lion in this photo is largely obscured by the lady preparing her offerings. The female lion usually has her paw resting on a playful lion cub, lying on it's back.
I've no idea what the flock of pigeons on the roof is waiting for.
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