Perak is home to about 50 limestone cave temples, many of which are concentrated around Ipoh, the state’s capital city. Some of the famous ones include Kek Lok Toong Temple, with its cavernous halls that lead to a beautifully landscaped garden ringed by hills; the Perak Guanyin Temple, which is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy; and the Perak Cave, known for its colourful paintings and golden Buddha statues.

One you may not have heard of (but should definitely check out) is Kong Fook Ngam Cave Temple in Kampung Kepayang.

Established in 1884, the temple looks small and unassuming on the outside – certainly not as impressive as the grander and more popular cave temples listed above – but looks can be deceiving, because it hides some beautiful gems within! (literally – it’s also called ‘Crystal’ Cave because of its naturally-occuring crystals)

Temples are usually packed with devotees on the first few days of the Lunar New Year, but there were only a few people at Kong Fook Ngam during our visit – which meant that we were able to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and not have to elbow our way to the joss sticks urn for a change lol. Aside from the Chinese Buddhist temple, there is also a small Thai Buddhist shrine within the compound.

A rotund temple dog.

The main shrine is built into the side of the cliff, with uneven walls that follow the natural contours of the rock. This area, which features typical Chinese-Buddhist decor like red lanterns and pineapple-shaped candles, opens up into another chamber on the right and a set of stairs leading to the cave entrance proper.

You’ll be outdoors briefly, right underneath an overhanging cliff, parts of which are covered in vegetation.

The shrine’s upper area, which is tiled with marble flooring and houses a dozen different deity statues. Look out for a small passageway to the right, just next to the Buddha in the glass case at the back. It’s pretty well hidden – if we hadn’t been looking for it, we would have missed it!

Welcome to the actual caves!

The area is not entirely enclosed – there’s still an opening with some sunlight streaming in – but already the vibe is vastly different from the brightly-lit main shrine. Adding to the ethereal ambience are colourful lights, casting rainbow shades across the cave’s walls.

Parts of the cave walls are covered in lichen, creating a stark white-green contrast.

Time to delve deeper into the cave! There’s another gated passageway which you’ll have to go through one or two at a time, as it’s pretty narrow.

Unlike many other cave temples in Perak, which are impressive due to their sheer size, Kong Fook Ngam’s caves are labyrinth-like, with low ceilings and narrow passageways that lead into small chambers.

At times, you may stumble on coy openings that seem like they may lead somewhere interesting… if you’re brave enough to squeeze through. Of course, that’s just a figure of speech – visitors have to follow the proper pathways at all times. Since everything is so enclosed, it feels a little like spelunking, but in a more controlled environment.

A bit of trivia: these caves would never have been ‘discovered’ if not for the efforts of the previous caretaker (who has since passed).

According to the current caretaker, her predecessor had a dream in which a goddess told him to open up the caves at the back of the temple. He spent three years doing so, carefully chipping away at rock and stone to unearth new passageaways and chambers.

I cannot even begin to picture the feeling of being the first human being to ever lay eyes on these geological wonders, formed millions of years ago when the earth looked completely different to how it is today. I guess this is why cave exploration in remote parts of the world is still a popular sport, despite its risks.

Lighting plays an important role in illuminating spaces, and I think the temple did an excellent job with it. Some chambers have low light, making them appear mysterious and ethereal; others are flooded with bright lights, so visitors can see every geological feature in full detail.

Another unique aspect of Kong Fook Ngam is the numerous animal-shaped formations you’ll find within the caves, like this one that is shaped like an elephant head (complete with ears and the trunk), which the temple has turned into a mini shrine.

Did you know? There’s a term for the human tendency to perceive patterns and shapes in things like clouds and rock formations: pareidolia. Can’t deny that this looks remarkably like a baby elephant, though.

The ‘elephant’s foot’ ‘formation. I initially thought the temple must have smoothened out the surface because it looked almost man-made in its precision and curves, but nope – au naturale. Amazing how nature works.

The bulb-like formations on the left are called ‘stone flowers’ in Chinese. I believe the English term is speleothem, but correct me if I’m wrong. A pity that the walls have been defaced by irresponsible visitors. This is why we cannot have nice things.

We spent over an hour exploring the caves and had it mostly to ourselves, since there were only two other families visiting at the time.

It’s strangely calming to be in the caves – sort of like being in the earth’s womb. There was a point where I wandered away from the group and found myself in one of the chambers alone. All I could hear was the distant echo of muted conversations and footsteps, as if they were coming from very far away, on top of the steady drip-drip-drip of water from the overhanging stalactites.

It’s difficult to wrap my mortal understanding of time around the actual amount that this steady flow of water has spent carving and shaping the very bones of the earth. It’s humbling; the same feeling you get when you gaze at stars and know that your human problems are insignificant in the grander scheme of things.

But I digress.

While Kong Fook Ngam may not be as large or as grand as the other cave temples in Perak, it is by far one of my favourites, and definitely in a class of its own as far as cave temples go. Entry to the caves is just RM5 – put it on your itinerary the next time you’re in Ipoh!

KONG FOOK NGAM CAVE TEMPLE

(Waze to Kong Fook Ngam) Kampong Kepayang,  31300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Phone: 012-515 8592

PS: The temple runs on donations and is cared for by a volunteer, so opening hours may change depending on their availability. It is best to check by calling to avoid disappointment.

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PS3:  All travel and food expenses are out of my own pocket unless otherwise stated. Views here are my own and are based on my personal experience. They are not meant to endorse or disparage businesses in any way.