26/06/2026

LYFE FRIDAY | JUNE 26, 2026

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A S far as news headlines are concerned, the 21st century has arrived in Kulai, a sleepy suburb of Johor Bahru, as the county emerges as a hub for data centres in Malaysia. Yet, in a small corner near Felda Taib Andak, time stands still. Amid palm oil plantations, in the middle of nowhere, is Putuo Village, containing a Buddhist temple and a 21-acre Bamboo Garden featuring various structures and artworks, most of which are made with bamboo. In fact, bamboo is the main player in Putuo Village, ever-present in all aspects, even the food. To understand the focus on bamboo, one must first go to the temple, situated a few hundred metres on a hill above the Bamboo Garden. Putuo is named after Mount Putuo, one of the four sacred mountains to Buddhists in China. It is also the mythical mountain residence of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, known in Chinese as Guanyin. The temple was devoted to Guanyin, according to Chew Ah Wei, a staffer with Putuo Village. And what of the bamboo? “(Guanyin) is the one most associated with bamboo. Bamboo is considered part of her natural surroundings,” he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was noon, and the sun and heat were at their peak. The humidity was high, testament to the gathering storm clouds inching closer to the hills. Despite the heat and humidity, the crowd at the temple was unrelenting. Wesak Day meant the Buddhist temple was full of devotees offering prayers and seeking blessings. A long line of Buddhists stretched from inside the temple to the outside, where a huge statue of a dragon floated above the heads of worshippers. Weighing an estimated 200kg, the dragon reared its head high, its whiskers trailing in the air and its open mouth showing sharp fangs. Its front paws were flexed, claws ready to strike down any mortal foolish enough to show it anything less than admiration or respect. Made by Indonesian and Malaysian artists, the size and attention to detail made for a wondrous sight. Like the temple, the dragon was made almost entirely out of bamboo. “Bamboo symbolises many positive values, including prosperity, success, good health and resilience,” Chew added. Beside the temple is a tree, laden with red ribbons. Chew said it was a wishing tree. He also said they receive about 500,000 visitors a year, with more visitors during religious and Chinese festivals heading to the temple and the Bamboo Garden. The garden draws visitors from various ethnicities and countries, mostly from Asean and East Asia, and is very popular with Instagrammers. Hidden gem Despite its popularity on Instagram, not many know of Putuo Village’s existence. Buddhists know of the temple, which was established in 2005 but saw significant overhaul and redesign with bamboo in 2023. But Malaysian visitors to the Bamboo Garden, including some from Johor, told Bernama they only discovered Putuo Village via Google,

A golden statue of a horse stands surrounded by bamboo.

Johor bamboo oasis features beautiful temple, garden

Tourists pose for a photo at a heart-shaped art installation.

o Putuo Village emerges as Kulai’s hidden gem

and branches off into several directions. The most trodden path is the one in the middle, which leads uphill to the bamboo statue of the winged horse, erected in honour of the Year of the Horse. Bamboo trees and stalks grow and line the pathways everywhere as far as the eye can see. True to what many have said before, the path does look like what one would expect to find in China. Here and there, tourists were taking photos by the many art installations. Other than the huge statue of the winged horse, there are other notable sights, such as the group of large pinwheel fans. It was not a windy day, unfortunately, so the pinwheels remained static. Otherwise, what a glorious sight they would have made. There is also a platform with two immense handscrolls, likely made of cement, with Chinese writing on one and a landscape on another. At first glance, it looked like a skateboarding park but the Chinese calligraphy soon disabused one of that notion. Putuo Village tourism promotion manager Lim Teck Hwee said the Bamboo Garden has many other installations including the Fish in the Clouds installation, where “vibrant koi appear to swim through a sea of clouds (to) symbolise abundance, prosperity and the freedom to chase one’s aspirations”. Another is the Leisure Umbrella , which is a “giant bamboo umbrella (to) create a whimsical and relaxing corner within the bamboo forest”. In the background, a bell kept ringing. Chew said it was a Chinese custom to ring the bell to chase away bad luck and evil spirits.

or through friends when looking for things to do in Kulai. “It’s a hidden gem,” agreed Dr Lee Yoke Lai, landscape architecture department head from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor. Although she worked nearby and despite her work with bamboo as a nature-based solution, she herself only found out about Putuo Village a few years back because her sister had visited the place before. Since then, Lee has visited Putuo Village twice. To get to the Bamboo Garden, one can go there directly as it is the first stop in Putuo Village. For the Guanyin temple, one has to walk along a paved pathway, decorated with Confucius sayings and Buddhist symbols. What starts out as an easy stroll becomes a hike uphill that is not difficult, but can be a bit of a cardio workout for the uninitiated. At the top is a two-storey rest area made almost entirely out of bamboo, with bamboo furniture for picnics. If one is feeling a bit overheated, not to worry, there is a drinks and ice-cream stand, and the building has fans. Off to the side is the entrance to the Bamboo Garden. Entry costs RM10 per adult and RM5 per child. Chew said the Bamboo Garden is very popular with newlyweds and couples, and contains many Chinese cultural decorations. The Buddhism symbols are fewer here, as Putuo Village management wants the space to be open and welcoming for all. “If we focus only on Buddhism, then only Buddhists will come,” he said. The Bamboo Garden covers a huge expanse of land. Upon entering, the paths are clear

Putuo Village is busiest during religious festivals such as Wesak. – ALL PICS FROM BERNAMA

Lee, who is an expert in green infrastructure, said marrying culture with green infrastructure was a great move as it serves dual purposes by attracting people through cultural appreciation while creating a healthier environment for all. “I want to credit Putuo Village with how they integrated a bamboo forest to create a nature (getaway) with culture. I think it’s a good combination,” she said. She added Putuo Village was serving as a green lung for Kulai, which is seeing a surge in data centre investment and development. She also hoped there would be more green infrastructure, such as bamboo forests and replanting native trees to go alongside. “We don’t want … to see a very concrete Kulai in the future,” she said.

Visitors said they were attracted to the natural aethestic of the Bamboo Garden. “I personally prefer this kind of calm environment. It’s like stress relief,” said Vimala Selvaraj, who hails from Tiram. She took advantage of the long Wesak holiday weekend to visit Putuo Village with her husband and two children. She added she only found out about the place via Google. Balancing nature, culture In Buddhism, bamboo is considered a sign of spiritual resilience, flexibility and enlightenment. In science, bamboo is a carbon sink and considered one of the best ways to reduce the effects of climate change from excess carbon.