“Chao-du” @ Bukit Brown
Preamble : Hungry Ghost Festival Saturday, 26th July was the eve of what is popularly known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, and less well known by its traditional name of Zhongyuan Jie, which in essence is also about honouring ancestors. It takes place at the start of the Chinese 7th lunar month, and it is when the gates of hell open and the spirits of dead are free to wander among the living for a month. To appease […]
Han Yi Jie 寒衣节
Han Yi Jie 寒衣节 By Victor Yue 4 November, 2013 Han Yi Jie, which means “warm clothing event”, is a Chinese tradition when the start of winter reminds the people that their ancestors and departed loved ones would also be experiencing the cold. And so, they make offerings of food and warm clothing for them. In Singapore, where it is always warm (hot in fact), such a tradition hardly exists. But, Xuan Jiang Dian 玄江殿, a Chinese temple dedicated […]
II. Salvation for Lost Souls with Xuan Jiang Dian
by Sugen Ramiah The rituals (Part 1) by Xuan Jiang Dian (Tortoise Hill temple) had begun with the gathering of lost souls, followed by purification and the granting of salvation. Now what remained was the sendoff, the rites of passage for the souls to transcend into the final phase – reincarnation. As the temple volunteers busied themselves with preparations, family members streamed in, with offerings of food, drinks and flowers – a final meal for the souls. The menu […]
I.Salvation for Lost Souls with Xuan Jiang Dian
by Sugen Ramiah It was the ninth day of the seventh lunar month, and I have been busy documenting rituals and customary practices of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Every temple or ‘sintua’ (a group of devotees with no temple and who gather in a place which host the deity statues and censers) has its own designated date, to perform cleansing rituals for the wandering souls. Released into the human realm, these are souls who have no one to remember […]
Recent Comments