Sam Poh Tong Temple And Its Beautiful Secret Garden

Sam Poh Tong Temple is well known in the local and tourist communities. For many, this is the cave temple to see.

Why is this particular temple so special and what can you see here?

Follow along this post and find out!

Interesting Facts

• Oldest cave temple in Ipoh (dating back to 1950)
• Religion practiced here is a Buddhist branch called Mahāyāna Buddhism

• Founder was a monk from China and he stayed at Sam Poh Tong for 20 years until his death
• The steep climb to the top of the temple has been closed for many years
• The temple is very busy during Qingming (Tomb Sweeping Day) as there is a columbarium here
• Feeding tortoises is supposed to bring you good luck at this temple

What You Should Know

Sam Poh Tong Temple is in the same row as other cave temples – Ling Sen Tong Temple and Nam Thean Tong Temple.

There is visitor parking across from the temple compound, but many ignore the signage and park along the outer wall.

Note: During Chinese New Year, there may be parking fees imposed

A coconut drink stall is at the exit of the temple, beside the gardens and out of sight from the road. To the side of the entrance into the temple is a vegetarian restaurant. It was not open on a Monday.

Be sure to visit the temple early as it closes at 4pm.

What To See At Sam Poh Tong

1. Front Gardens

Without stepping into the temple, you can admire the outer wall that is made of marble. The high cost of which makes this a rarity.

Whichever entrance you choose to enter, you will see the front gardens. These feature a beautiful pond with equally lovely landscaping.

There are fish in the pond. We recommend walking around the well-maintained garden so you can admire the landscaping and spot the small figurines placed at the pond.

After you check out the garden, you can go further into the compound. A large intricate arch marks the entrance into the prayer hall.

Be mindful of the floor as the marble tiles are extremely slippery when wet. And since the temple is in a cave, dripping water is unavoidable.

No one seems to care about the algae that is taking over the front part of the temple.

2. Prayer Hall

The prayer hall is dimly lit. There is a counter on the side where they sell fish feed and cut tomatoes for the tortoise sanctuary. It costs about RM3 for packet of fish feed, and RM4 for a small bowl of tomatoes.

Note: No one will force you to pay donations and they do not charge entrance fees.

Visitors are free to wander around the prayer hall. There are no decorations on the wall like in Perak Tong Temple. The prayer hall is simple, and you can clearly see the cave ceiling in its natural state.

3. Natural Wind Tunnel

At the back of the prayer hall is a short wind tunnel that you can go through to get to the back of the temple. Stand in the tunnel for a bit and you can enjoy the natural breeze that funnels in.

4. Secret Garden

Outside, the garden is not as ornate as the front garden. But it is also well-kept. The tortoise sanctuary is on the right of the wind tunnel as you exit.

On the left side, is a wonderful pagoda structure with a European style fountain in front (the fountain is not working). The entrance to the building is locked, and it looks abandoned.

Still, this building and all the greenery around it make for a very pretty picture. Especially when the afternoon sunlight hits the garden.

5. Tortoise Sanctuary

The gated concrete tortoise pen contains both turtles and tortoises. The pond inside their pen is full of algae and needs a clean-up.

Some of the animals look hungry, munching on leaves that fall into their pen. They did like the tomatoes we fed them although some of them were not interested.

If you care to observe, there are different species of tortoises among them.

Conclusion

Sam Poh Tong Temple in Gunung Rapat is one of our favorite cave temples to visit in Ipoh. It’s small but interesting. And it is convenient that you can explore other cave temples while you are here.

It’s also free to visit and though some parts of the temple need maintenance, the gardens are very well taken care of.

PS: If you do plan to visit here, bring some mosquito repellent as the back garden has many.