Attractions in Terengganu

6.Crystal Mosque

     The Crystal Mosque or Masjid Kristal is a mosque in Wan Man, Terengganu, Malaysia. A grand structure made of steel, glass and crystal, the mosque is located at the Islamic Heritage Park on the island of Wan Man. The mosque took two years to be built from 2006 until 2008 and was only opened to the public on 8th February 2008 by the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu.

The uniqueness of the mosque comes from its interesting exterior. The mosque is coated with steel, glass and crystal which are the three main materials in the development of this magnificent piece of architecture which gave it its name. Its sleek and modern look is reflected in the river surrounding the mosque. The illumination from inside the mosque also makes it look like the glass domes are shining. The Crystal Mosque is able to accommodate up to 1,500 worshippers at a given time and also made its name internationally for its beauty.

The Crystal Mosque is part of a larger tourist attraction, the Islamic Heritage Park. Aside from the Crystal Mosque, it also showcases various replicas of other famous mosques such as the Taj Mahal, Masjid al-Haram, Aleppo Citadel, Al-Hambra Mosque. Among all the sites in this park, the main attraction has to be the Crystal Mosque.



7. Terengganu State Museum

    The Terengganu State Museum (Muzium Negeri Terengganu) at Kampung Losong, Kuala Terengganu is the largest museum in Malaysia with a massive floor area of over 75,000 square meters spread over 4 interconnected buildings.

The buildings are not old - the museum was only opened in 1996 - and the walls are made from concrete but their delicate craftsmanship and sweeping pitched roofs give the museum a very imposing look. The whole museum is raised on concrete stilts above landscaped gardens and ponds.

Inside the museum, the displays are arranged in nine galleries. The contents do not quite live up to the promise of the exterior in my view and there is quite a lot of empty space to be filled but there is still plenty worth seeing.

8. Chinatown of Kuala Terengganu

    Chinatown is located along Jalan Bandar (formerly known as Jalan Kampung Cina) The town is small but has colourful shophouses along both sides of the road that carries traditional flavour. Kuala Terengganu's Chinatown was first established by the Chinese community in the late 19th century. It was once a hub for commercial activities that helped shape Kuala Terengganu into what it is today. The Chinese built the traditionally designed shop houses according to their place of origin in China.

Kampung Cina, Chinatown of Kuala Terengganu is the main Chinese settlement in Kuala Terengganu, situated near the heart of Kuala Terengganu city centre. In 1719, the Chinese village settlement had more than 1000 house compared from its today row of pre-war Chinese shop houses of that which only dated as far as 200-year or its earlier dated that are recorded by foreigners like Alexander Hamilton and Captain Joseph Jackson who visited the Chinese settlement while in the Kuala Terengganu town during 1719, and other like J. Newbold in 1893, Munshi Abdullah in 1836, and more. The great fire in the early 1880s destroyed a large part of the area and subsequently, many of the houses were rebuilt.

The exact date of the founding of Kampung Cina is not clearly known as no archaeology dig was ever made, as to preserve the Kampung Cina site which is now a part of the city. Many who live here may be descended from the first Chinese who arrive and settled here at Terengganu since the 16th century. Thus many of its occupants treat their house as an ancestral home which has much history after being handed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, preservation and modification projects are carried out on many of the old buildings.

9. Kemaman mini Zoo

   Kemaman Zoo & Recreation Park is located Kampung Tabuan was opened on 11 August 2009With a breadth of 35 acres, is the combination mini zoo, garden, fruits, herbs, orchid, tropical plants, bonsai, water theme park and the biggest natural habitat of re y in Terengganu state.

Kemaman Zoo is home to 54 different species including lions, tigers, elephants, orang hutan, crocodiles copper, various species of birds and various more.

10. Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village 

    Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village (KECV) is a new attraction in the Lake Kenyir area of Terengganu. It was built in 2012 on a 256-hectare site of which 90% has been left in its natural forest state in order to provide a home for the elephant orphans who live here.

The main aim of KECV is to provide a sanctuary for rescued elephants whose life in the wild in Malaysia is threatened by habitat loss and ivory poaching. Creating a tourist attraction and increasing employment for local people are secondary goals.

The elephants in KECV are all local elephant. Each of the elephants has a different daily schedule. A safe and new home is given for the rescued elephants. KECV ensures the support and survival of current 13 elephants living in harmony with nature and community.

11. Ho Ann Kiong Temple

     Ho Ann Kiong Temple is a Chinese temple situated in Chinatown of Kuala Terengganu, It is the oldest Taoist temple in the state as part of the Chinatown.

The temple was built in 1801 by early Chinese immigrants in Terengganu to fulfil their religious obligations. With the establishment of another temple known as Tian Hou Gong Temple in the area, the number of devotees slowly decreased and the building fell into disrepair. A deadly epidemic then occurred in 1915 with half of the town population wiped out. Suffering from limited medical supplies at the time, the population immediately returned to praying in the temple to ask for mercy from the deities for a cure. Their appeal would be answered under a condition that the temple building should be repaired. The town population subsequently agreed to the condition and following the repair, the epidemic miraculously dissipated.

In the week after Chinese New Year in 2010, half of the temple building was suddenly ravaged by fire. Having learnt the lesson from the older town population, the newer generations immediately raised a series of funds to repair and restore the damaged temple. The temple was then fully restored in 2012 with a total cost of RM1.3 million.

12. Istana Maziah Terengganu

      Istana Maziah is the official palace of the Sultan of Terengganu. It is located at the foot of Bukit Puteri in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. The palace is the official venue for important functions such as royal birthdays, weddings, conferment of titles and receptions for local and foreign dignitaries.

Istana Maziah was built to replace Istana Hijau (Green Palace) which was destroyed in a fire. Istana Hijau had been constructed during the reign of Sultan Omar (Baginda Omar) on 10 March 1870 (7 Zulhijjah 1286).

There are differing accounts about the exact date construction started on Istana Maziah. According to one record by Engku Pengiran Anum, the foundation stone of Istana Maziah was laid on Friday, May 31, 1895 (7 Zulhijjah 1312) at 10am during the reign of Sultan Zainal Abidin III (1881-1918). However, according to the records by Dato Seri Amar Diraja Haji Ngah Muhammad bin Yusof, the palace was built in 1897.

The architect of Istana Maziah is Tengku Chik Abu Bakar bin Tengku Abdul Jalil. He is a relative of Sultan Zainal Abidin III. Others also contributed towards the completion of the blueprint and furnishing of Istana Maziah, including Engku Besar Paduka Raja Sayyid Abdullah bin Zin Al-Idrus, Muhammad bin Abdul Rahim (Encik Mat) and Dato’ Mata-Mata.

Wood supply to build the Istana came from the region of Dungun and this responsibility of obtaining it was entrusted to Tengku Panglima Besar Tengku Muda Kechik, while bricks and chalk were handled by Tengku Besar Paduka Indera.

Because of the constant lack of funds, the palace construction was delayed many times. When it was finally completed, the "Upacara naik Istana" ceremony, marking the sultan moving into the new palace was held on August 7, 1903 (14 Jamadil Awal 1312).

Several refurbishments were carried throughout the reign of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah (1920-1942) and Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (1945-1979). Further additions were carried out to the Istana buildings in 1972 and 1998.