For many Penangites, the Goddess Of Mercy temple – colloquially known as Kuan Yin Teng – is a place of pride and divine protection. As the island’s oldest Taoist temple, it has emerged unscathed throughout turbulent times since its inception in 1728.

Dedicated to the venerable Goddess Kuan Yin, the place of worship miraculously survived the Imperial Japanese Army’s bombing in December 1941 as well as several terrorist attacks in the 1960s. Of course, all these episodes only serve to fuel rumours among locals that the temple possesses some kind of magical divinity.