By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 16: If you pass by Hong San Si Temple at Wayang Street, you should try to catch a glimpse of the 23-kilogram tortoise there munching on fruits and vegetables.
According to the temple’s caretaker, SK Phang, the tortoise—measuring two feet in length and one foot and 10 inches in width—was brought to the temple by its owner in November 2023.
Phang added that the owner wanted the tortoise to have a temporary home while he worked on building the creature’s permanent residence.
“We now have 29 tortoises of various species in this 176-year-old temple, which was built during the era of the White Rajah James Brooke in 1848 and dedicated to Hokkien child diety Kong Teck Choon Ong,” she said to DayakDaily.
“The tortoise is not only big, but we believe that it is very old, and it could be more than 100 years old.”
Phang added that she does not know the origin of the tortoise, but the owner of the reptile stated that it was for sale at a village market at the Sarawak and West Kalimantan border.
“Maybe he bought the creature out of pity and wanted to give it a home. We aren’t keeping it here for him as it needed a temporary home while waiting for its permanent residence.
Phang said that the tortoise is certainly an attraction, but she does not know how long it will stay.
“Around the world, many believe that a tortoise is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Maybe visitors who come to the temple could seek and pray to the creature to give them such attributes in life,” she added.
Phang shared that the reptile has no name but is very obedient and does not roam, adding that the tortoise has stayed in one section of the temple since it arrived.
“It is herbivorous, so it only eats fruits and vegetables. We feed it once a day, and then for the rest of the day, it tries to stay put quietly. Maybe it is ‘meditating’,” she joked. — DayakDaily
