Alex’s  Story Part 1

Compiled by Catherine Lim

In 1940, when Lim Sian Chin was only 6 months old, his mother passed away from a mysterious illness.  Tan Tee Teo 陳甜桃; was only 23 years old.

On 2nd April, 2012, exactly 72 years to the date of Tan’s death (according to the lunar calendar)  Lim Sian Chin, with his  wife Hai Lian and 2 sons, Alex and Yong Beng paid what could be their last Qing Ming respects to her. (Roger, the middle  son of Lim’s was in Dubai) Staked grave 3716  is one of nearly 4000 graves which  lie in the way of an 8 lane highway that the government plans to build that  will slice Bukit Brown Cemetery into half.

This is the photo essay of the Lims’  Qing Ming 2012  which was also covered  by the documentation team led by Hui Yew Foong. It is composed from the view point of the eldest son, Alex.

“3716” has a name.   (photo Catherine Lim)

Tan is among these staked graves by Lornie Road (photo Catherine Lim)

The Lims stop by Lornie road for easiest access (photo Catherine Lim)

“The documentation dudes, Terence Heng  and Hui Yew Foong” (photo Catherine Lim)

“Pa, let me take your hand” (photo Catherine Lim)

“What do you have there, Alex?” asked Yew Foong” (photo Catherine Lim)

(photo by Terence Heng, visual sociologist on documentation team)

“Everyone seems to know what to do” (photo Catherine Lim)

Chinese pastries for her. Offerings are simple fare these days  (photo Catherine Lim)

Laying out the offerings and lighting up (photo Catherine Lim)

Youngest brother (photo Catherine Lim)

Father lights up for the mother he never knew (photo Catherine Lim)

” I remember back then when I was this nigh high, playing here among the lallang and the mozzies are still here ….” (photo Catherine Lim)

Father reads from Buddhist book of Mantras.(photo Catherine Lim)

The Lim family were Taoist practitioners. In recent years, they have become Buddhists, as father believes after a period of time, the departed are already well and truly  reincarnated. So offerings are “symbolic”

Burning (photo Catherine Lim)

A unique way of wedging coloured paper through grass stalks so it won’t fly away (photo Catherine Lim)

This tradition comes from a Han emperor who after a long stint away from at war , returned home to pay respects to his parents. Their graves had become overgrown. So he decided to throw paper in 5 cardinal directions and where they landed and stayed, that would be where their graves were. A stone was used to wedge the paper to their tomb stones (that is why you still see stones on top of tombstones, it shows descendents have paid a visit.) Alex has his own unique way of “marking” the spot.

“Time to go, Pa” (photo Catherine Lim)

One last bow, one last request “How shall we honour you, going forward?”  (photo Catherine Lim)

The grave of Tan Tee Neo rests under a tree visible from the road (photo by Terence Heng)

Post Script to Tan Tee Neo : The widower of Tan Tee Neo was to later marry her much younger sister sometime during or after World War 2. It was a fruitful union which  resulted in half siblings for Lim and that branch of the family  too continue to honour their late aunt at Qing Ming.

Alex’s story continues in Part II coming up soon where he pays his respect to his great great grandparents who are also buried in Bukit Brown. They are  Lim Kee Tong 林箕當, Neo Kim 梁金. Find out more about the part Lim Kee Tong played in the setting up of a  free school and a temple.

Award winning Hong San See Temple at Mohamed Sultan Road (photo by Alex Lim)