Scene 20, shot 3. Attention, action!

Lady Tuptim, the favourite concubine of the king of Siam, runs away from the harem. He misses her fiancé, Balat and decides to hide in the temple in which he lived, disguised as a man. But the guards of the king find her, and now the beautiful Tuptim is waiting for a sentence to be given…

“Anna and the King”, can you remember the scene?

How could we possibly forget the exotism, the romanticism, the show of a love story, wonderfully told? And among all the remarkable details of the spectacular, legend – like decors in the heart of Siam, the most incredible ones were those in the suspense scene of searching and capturing the courageous Tuptim…

Welcome to Khoo Kongsi, the biggest clan temple in Malaysia! Yes, the real, dream décor of the famous scene in “Anna and the King”.

In the movie there is an exquisite edifice, but in reality…Yes, life always beats the movie; Khoo Kongsi is a wonder!

The members of the Khoo Kongsi clan, those who raised the temple 110 years ago, were wealthy Chinese traders and they dedicated the construction to their deities, who protected them against evil and gave them protection for their income, as well.

The temple has such an elaborate structure, and such a richly ornamented architecture with so many elements, that it would take you more than a week to discover them all.

I stayed a lot to watch some of the most intricate and wonderful carvings, I`ve ever admired so far, in my life and the collections of little, old boards, unique in the world.

Therefore, if you get to the old area of George Town (UNESCO patrimony), save some splendid hours for Khoo Kongsi. For magic moments, like in the movies…