171 MALAYSIA - Kek Lok Si Temple

The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and is one of the best known temples on the island. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. 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. The construction of the temple began in 1890 and was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple at Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Emperor Guangxu, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras. The primary benefactor of the Kek Lok Si Temple in 1906 was none other than Kapitan Chung Keng Quee.

In 1930, the seven storey main pagoda of the temple or the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown; reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. In 2002, a 30.2m bronze statue of the Kuan Yin was completed and opened to public. It replaced the previous white plaster Kuan Yin statue which was damaged due to a fire a few years earlier. The bronze statue is located on the hillside above the pagoda while the head of the previous statue which survived the fire is preserved and placed on the right hand corner of the new statue. As the fairly recent date mentioned above may suggest, the temple is still growing. Generous donations from the affluent Chinese community allow the construction of additional buildings. From 2005 to 2009 an ornate shelter for the Kuan Yin statue was constructed. 16 carved dragon pillars were built, carrying the top of three concentric octagonal roof. This most recent construction was inaugurated on 6 December 2009.

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Raymond Low (direct swap) sent from ? (Malaysia) on 17.02.2014

143 MALAYSIA - Kinabalu Park (UNESCO)

As the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea, Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m) holds a distinctive position for the biota of South-East Asia. Kinabalu is a granite intrusion formed 15 million years ago by the hardening of a mass of molten rock that rose beneath the sedimentary rocks of Borneo's Crocker Range. 1 million years ago this pluton was thrust upward by tectonic movements which continue to this day. The sandstone and shale that once covered the granite have been eroded to reveal the underlying rock. During the Pleistocene, glaciers covered Kinabalu's summit, scouring the granite plateau and sharpening the jagged peaks above the ice. The ice sheet disappeared 10,000 years ago. Since then, wind and water have sculpted the summit peaks further to create pinnacles and deep valleys. Natural vegetation covers 93% of the park with rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest (dominated by diptocarps) amounting to 35%. Tropical montane forest covers another 37% of the park with subalpine forest and evergreen scrub found at the higher elevations. Of particular conservation significance are vegetation types developed on ultramafic (serpentine) rocks. Ultramafic vegetation covers about 16% of the park and contains many species restricted to this substrate. Kinabalu has been identified as a Centre of Plant Diversity. Despite its geological youth, it is exceptionally rich in species with elements from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malesia and Pantropical floras. The park has between 5,000-6,000 vascular plant species, 1,000 of which are orchids. It is particularly rich in Ficus (78 taxa), ferns (610 species) and Nepenthes (9 species of pitcher plant). Rafflesia, a rare parasitic plant, is also found. The mountain flora has diverse 'living fossils' such as the celery pine and the trig-oak, the evolutionary link between oaks and beeches.

The variety of Kinabalu's habitats includes 6 vegetation zones from lowland rainforest through to alpine scrub at 4,095 m. Faunal diversity is also high with the majority of Borneo's mammals, birds, amphibians and invertebrates (many threatened and vulnerable) known to occur in the park. It is clear that Kinabalu Park contains the important and significant habitats for the in-situ conservation of biological diversity. The high species diversity of Kinabalu results from a number of factors: the great altitudinal and climatic gradient from tropical forest to alpine conditions; precipitous topography causing effective geographical isolation over short distances; the diverse geology with many localized edaphic conditions, particularly the ultramafic substrates; the frequent climate oscillations influenced by El Niño events; and geological history of the Malay archipelago and proximity to the much older Crocker Range. The above processes provide ideal conditions for a diverse biota, high endemism and rapid evolutionary rates. Wildlife is also diverse with 90 species of lowland mammal and 22 others found in the montane zone. Four species of primate occur and 326 bird species have been recorded. Mount Kinabalu is thus both species-rich and an important centre for endemism. Half of all Borneo's birds, mammals and amphibian species including many rare and endangered species occur in the park. Two-thirds of all Bornean reptiles and at least half of its plant species are represented in the park.

132 MALAYSIA - Melaka, Historic City of the Straits of Malacca (UNESCO)

Through history, the Straits of Malacca have been a highway for maritime traders and contacts between East and West. Powerful kingdoms and cities have arisen and a typical trait has been immigration and strong influences from far and near, contributing to a multicultural identity. In the late 14th century or early 15th century the city and the kingdom of Melaka was founded. The small fishing village rapidly grew to a large port and emporium, overshadowing the older ports in the area. With the support from the Chinese emperor the king managed to stay independent of Siam. Many ethnic groups were present and it is reported that some 80 different languages were spoken. The custom that people from different ethnic communities lived in their own sections of the city started in this period. Islam was introduced; the king assumed the title of Sultan and Melaka became a centre of learning for Islam. In 1511 the Portuguese conquered the city of Melaka. A stone fortress surrounding the present St. Paul's Hill was built and within this, palaces for the governor and the bishop, five churches, two hospitals, a college and other public buildings were built. The destruction of mosques and tombs shows a wish to weaken Islam. However, the tradition of separate ethnic quarters and multiculturalism continued. Melaka was frequently attacked by its Malay neighbours; other Europeans were sailing through the Straits of Malacca and had an interest in the area, and in 1641 the Dutch captured the city. They had conquered Java in 1619 and made Batavia (Jakarta) their capital in the East. Melaka was not to compete but became their main base in the peninsula and again rose to a Southeast Asian entrepot par excellence at the end of the 18th century. The Dutch merely took over the existing infrastructure. Later they built a new fortress on St. John's Hill and in 1650 the former Governor's residence was converted into the Stadthuis. The catholic St. Peter's Church was built in 1710 and the protestant Christ Church in 1753, the oldest protestant church in Malaysia and still in use. In 1795-1818, during the Napoleonic wars in Europe, Melaka came into British hands. By then Penang/George Town had been in existence for some time and as its rival, it was initially ordered to level Melaka. The fort was demolished, only the gate is left, but then the destruction was stopped. A few years later, in 1824, Melaka was finally brought under British administration. George Town was founded in 1786 by the British. Unlike the Portuguese and the Dutch they exercised a policy of free trade. People from all over the world were encouraged to settle in the new town and to produce export crops. To administer the island, a Presidency was set up under the jurisdiction of the East India Company in Bengal and in 1826 it became part of the Straits Settlements together with Singapore and Melaka.

The development of both cities over the centuries was based on the merging of diverse ethnic and cultural traditions, including Malay, European, Muslim, Indian and Chinese influences. All this resulted in a human and cultural tapestry that is expressed in a rich intangible heritage that includes languages, religious practices, gastronomy, ceremonies and festivals. In Melaka, a conservation area was first identified in 1979 and upgraded in 1985. In 1988 an international seminar was organized and the area of St Paul's Hill designated as a heritage zone. The same year, the State of Melaka established the Preservation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Act, and in 1993 this was placed under the newly established Melaka Museums Corporation. From this the Conservation Trust Fund was formed, and from 2001 this has been used to finance selected building conservation projects in Melaka. In George Town, a policy on conservation areas was introduced in the early 1970s. This was the first time a conservation plan became part of the town plan. The island's rapid urban change in the mid-1980s fostered a public conservation movement and an International Conference on Urban Conservation and Planning helped to raise awareness. In the early 1990s some demolitions and conservation projects attracted attention. The first major building restoration work undertaken by the State Government was the Syed Al-Attas Mansion in 1993.

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Idaline Postcrossing (direct swap) sent from Shah Alam (Malaysia) on 06.01.2014

028 MALAYSIA - Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH's official definition and ranking, they were the tallest building the the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but they remain the tallest twin building in the world. The buildings are the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Towers. The height of the towers is measured to the top of their structural components such as spire, but don't include antennas. Spires are considered actual integral parts of the architectural design of building to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the builing, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The building is 452 m (1483 ft) high and the top floor is at 375 m (1230 ft).

The towers were designed by Argentine architect César Pelli. They chose a distinctive postmodern style to create a 21st-century icon for Kuala Lumpur. Planning of the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigrous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads of the design. Seven years of construction followed, beginning on 1 March 1993 with the excavation which envolved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down 30 metres (98 ft) below the surface. The construction of the superstructure commenced on 1 April 1994. Interiors with furniture were completed on 1 January 1996, the spires of Tower 1 and 2 were completed on 1 March 1996 and the first batch of PETRONAS personal moved into the building on 1 January 1997. The building was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Malaysia's Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad on 1 August 1999.

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Geok Chu (postcrossing) sent from Perling (Malaysia) on 29.08.2013