Walls of glass
Some 300,000 coloured pieces.
Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0
A Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali, its walls, pillars and ceilings covered in countless pieces of coloured glass and mirror, so that inside it seems like a jewellery box glittering in the light. The Malaysia Book of Records listed it in 2010 as the country's first glass temple, and it is now one of Johor Bahru's best-known sights. The temple began in 1922 as a simple shelter on land given by the Sultan of Johor and was rebuilt in the 1990s; its chief priest took the idea of glass from a temple he saw sparkling in Bangkok. Its decoration is said to use some three hundred thousand pieces of white, yellow, red, green, purple and blue glass, under crystal chandeliers that multiply the sparkle. Foreign tourists pay about ten ringgit to enter, while worshippers enter free. Visiting hours for tourists are narrower than the hours of worship and change from time to time, so check before you go. Remove your shoes at the entrance, dress to cover shoulders and knees, and don't take photos inside the main shrine. It stands about a kilometre north of the city centre beside the railway, a walk or a short taxi ride away. Combine it with the Old Chinese Temple and the Chinese Heritage Museum in the old town to see several faces of Johor Bahru in a few hours.
Some 300,000 coloured pieces.
Sparkle multiplied by mirrors.
In the Malaysia Book of Records since 2010.
Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, beside the railway, about 1 km north of the city centre
KotaJail (Old Johor Bahru Prison)The old Johor Bahru Prison, built in 1883 and one of the oldest in Malaysia, has9 minutes walk
Old Chinese Temple and Tan Hiok Nee StreetOne of the oldest structures in Johor Bahru, a small Chinese temple dating from 12 minutes walk
Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage MuseumA small museum in an old multi-storey shophouse on Jalan Ibrahim, in the heart o18 minutes walk
Johor ZooOne of the oldest zoos in Malaysia, begun in 1928 as the Sultan of Johor's priva19 minutes walk
Sultan Abu Bakar State MosqueThe official mosque of the state of Johor, and one of the most beautiful and unu20 minutes walkIt opens to worshippers from morning to evening, while tourists have narrower hours that change from time to time, usually during the day. Call the temple or check Tourism Johor's page before you go.
In most of the temple, yes, but not inside the main shrine. Ask before photographing worshippers.