Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Top choice

LoginSave

Kuala Lumpur's oldest Chinese temple (1864) was built on the instructions of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and is dedicated to Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, two Chinese deities believed instrumental in Yap's ascension to Kapitan status. Several beautiful objects decorate the temple, including two hanging carved panels.

Fortune-telling sticks are provided for devotees; just rattle the pot until a stick falls out, then find the paper slip corresponding to the number on the stick. Staff will translate the fortune on the slip for RM1. Flanking the temple entrance, note the two 1893 wooden sedan chairs used to carry the deity statues during religious processions.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Medan Tuanku Station, Menara KL Tower.

    Menara KL

    0.72 MILES

    Although the Petronas Towers are taller, the 421m Menara KL, rising from the crest of Bukit Nanas, offers the best city views. The bulb at the top…

  • [UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Masjid Jamek is the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak river. It was built in 1907 and officially open by the then Sultan Selangor in 1909.

    Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

    0.23 MILES

    This graceful, onion-domed mosque, designed by British architect AB Hubback, borrows Mogul and Moorish styles with its brick-and-plaster banded minarets…

  • Thean Hou Temple

    Thean Hou Temple

    1.72 MILES

    Sitting atop leafy Robson Heights, this vividly decorated multistorey Chinese temple, dedicated to Thean Hou, the heavenly queen, affords wonderful views…

  • Detail of ceiling in Islamic Arts Museum.

    Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

    0.53 MILES

    Inhabiting a building that's nearly as impressive as its collection, this museum showcases Islamic decorative arts from around the globe. Scale models of…

  • Batu Caves

    Batu Caves

    6.43 MILES

    Just 13km north of Kuala Lumpur rise the iconic Batu Caves, a Malaysian national treasure, Hindu pilgrimage site and wildlife-conservation zone. Behind a…

  • Ramayana Cave

    Ramayana Cave

    6.48 MILES

    No cave at Batu is more spectacularly embellished than Ramayana Cave, which boasts psychedelic dioramas of the Indian epic 'Ramayana'. Pass the green, 15m…

  • Chin Swee Caves Temple

    Chin Swee Caves Temple

    19.42 MILES

    Between the golf course and Resorts World, on a forested cliff, stands a temple that's both awe-inspiring and blood-curdling. Chin Swee was completed in…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kuen Stephanie Sculptures

0.04 MILES

The red-painted metal sculptures located on this pedestrianised square are based on artworks by Kuen Stephanie and depict scenes from Malaysian life in…

2. RUANG by Think City

0.09 MILES

The urban rejuvenation outfit Think City has taken over the elegant art deco OCBC building, originally designed in 1938 by British architect Arthur Oakley…

3. REXKL

0.09 MILES

Occupying the old Rex Cinema building, this community-based cultural and creative centre is the brainchild of a group of young cultural entrepreneurs. It…

4. Lee Rubber Building

0.09 MILES

This 1930s art deco building designed by British architect Arthur Oakley Coltman was once the tallest building in KL.

5. Guandi Temple

0.11 MILES

Founded in 1886, this atmospheric temple offers photogenic high ceilings, red walls, tiled eaves and pointy gable ends. It's dedicated to Guandi, a…

6. Medan Pasar

0.12 MILES

Pedestrianised Medan Pasar was once the heart of Chinatown. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, often cited as one of KL's founders, lived here, and in addition to…

7. Chinatown Wet Market

0.13 MILES

If you want your chicken freshly plucked, this is where to get it. The market is squished in darkened alleys between Jln Petaling and Jln Tun HS Lee and…

8. Sri Mahamariamman Temple

0.15 MILES

Rising almost 23m above this lively Hindu temple is its gopuram, a tower decorated with colourful Hindu gods. Founded in 1873, making it one of the oldest…