2014
Aug
1

“Chao-du” @ Bukit Brown

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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 them, offerings and entertainment is laid out  by  descendants at their homes, but  also by temples,  business and clan  associations. This year, the prediction was that  hell’s gates will open at 11pm on the eve of the festival.

The Salvation Rituals

At Bukit Brown,  devotees from the Taoist temple  Xuan Jiang Dian (Heng Kang Tian ) conducted a “chao du” or “salvation rituals”  –  considered an act of compassion – specifically for the forgotten and lost spirits there.

This is the 3rd year in a row, Xuan Jiang Dian  have done this,  ever since in fact news of the building of the highway across Bukit Brown in 2011 was announced. Exhumations of the some 4.153 graves which are in the way of the highway are drawing to  a close.  So there was added interest in this year’s ritual which was covered  by our national newspapers. The National Heritage Board (NHB) shared that a specially commissioned video on rites and rituals at Bukit Brown will be uploaded soon to you tube.

A First Hand Account of “chao du”

The ” chao du”  ceremony which was witnessed also by Brownies and other well wishers, started at around 8.3opm . It consisted of the setting up of  an altar table with offerings at the major  junction of  the 4 roads in  Bukit Brown which leads to Blocks 1, 5, 4 and 3.

The Taoist priests from China, resplendent in their robes, chanted and walked several ceremonial  rounds  in the area calling upon lost spirits. There was something soothing in their chanting and the air was redolent with the scent of what must have been a hundred lighted joss sticks. Each participant carried  3 sticks each throughout  the 40 minute long chanting.

There was a stillness in the air and the smoke and swish of the robes  carried the movement of the night.  It ended with the burning of paper offerings and just as quickly as it was set up, the devotees packed up and left, with the  the candles planted still burning  and the last vestiges of the paper offerings smouldering down to embers.  

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Photo Gallery  :

Beauty shot_Ai Lin

The arrival of devotees making their way to the ceremonial site for the set up (photo Chua Ai Lin)

beauty shot_Teremce Heng

Chao-du (photo Terence Heng)

Burining offerings _Zhi Hao

Paper offerings (photo Zhi Hao)

candle lit_Claire Leow

Path of candle lights to show the spirits the way (photo Claire Leow)

Candle_Zhi Hao

(photo Zhi Hao)

Tablets _ Chua Ai Lin

Side View : Off site 3 tablets,  set up by  Xuan Jiang Dian at Bukit Merah Blk 123 for the wandering spirits of Kopi Sua aka Bukit Brown. [right] for animals killed during agricultural activity (prior to it becoming a cemetery)[centre] for wandering souls[left] for animals killed during construction works (photo and caption by Chua Ai Lin)

Paying my respects to my late father and also the uncared, wandering and uncrossed over souls of Kopi Sua during the seven month pudu festival of Xuan Jian Dian

Front View : Off site 3 tablets,  set up by  Xuan Jiang Dian  at Bukit Merah Blk 123 for the wandering spirits of Kopi Sua aka Bukit Brown. [right] for animals killed during agricultural activity (prior to it becoming a cemetery)[centre] for wandering souls [left] for animals killed during construction works (photo Raymond Goh)

Report in the Straits Times on last night's ritual by Heng Kang Tian at Bt Brown_Victor Yue

Report on the Straits Times 27 July,’14 on the ceremony

ZB report_YH

Report on Lianhe Zaobao, 27th July’14

Report on  Lianhe Zaobao on a ritual conducted last night at Bt. Brown which marked the opening of the 7th month:  A group from Heng Kang Tian including 8 Taoist priests conducted the ritual to invite spirits to a salvation ceremony conducted today in front of Bukit Merah View Block 123. The group has been going to Bt. Brown for the past two years to invite spirits from tombs which are not tended to by descendants. The event was attended by Brownies and participants of tours at the cemetery. It was also recorded by the Bt Brown Documentation Team. NHB is currently preparing a 10-15 min documentary on the rituals carried out at Bt Brown cemetery. This will be uploaded to the NHB channel on youtube, “yesterdaysg”, around end next month. (summary by  Ang Yik Han) Full report in Chinese:

文物局到武吉布朗坟场 记录“招魂”仪式

王舒杨
联合早报2014年07月27日

今天是农历七月初一,华人传统节日“鬼节”今起开始。昨晚,武吉布朗坟场文史记录小组和国家文物局人员特地到武吉布朗坟场,记录一场由道教团体进行的祭祀仪式。

昨晚约9时,应道教宗教团体玄江殿邀请的八名道长和一名唢呐乐师在武吉布朗坟场进行“招魂”仪式。在道路两侧点亮“引魂”的香火后,他们在锣鼓声中唱诵经文。今明两天他们将在红山景第123座前的道场举行大型超度法会。

数十名积极参与保护武吉布朗文化遗产的公民团体成员也到场目睹仪式。除了这些“武吉布朗人”,不少报名参加坟场导览活动的外国人和游客也纷纷拿起相机拍下这个独具特色的活动。

玄江殿自1996年起多次在武吉布朗坟场举行农历十月初一的“寒衣节”祭祀活动,并从两年前开始在武吉布朗坟场举行七月鬼节的法事,目的是在坟场进行招魂,为他们超度。

根据武吉布朗坟场文史记录小组整理的资料,武吉布朗坟场里的中元节如同一项社区活动,是一种灵界上的慈善事业。信徒所祭祀的亡魂通常与他们没有任何亲属关系,尤其是孤魂。

玄江殿主持陈荣兴(45岁)说,武吉布朗一些坟墓主人没有子孙祭拜,所以希望能为这些孤魂超度。

此外,道家也相信所有生灵皆可超度,而坟墓挖掘过程中伤到蚂蚁等生灵,超度法事也怀有对它们的尊重。

国家文物局目前正在筹备一个10至15分钟长的纪录片,介绍华人社群在武吉布朗坟场的仪式,包括七月鬼节、清明节以及较少人知道的寒衣节。短片料下月底上载到文物局的YouTube频道“yesterdaysg”。

文物局总司长(政策)陈子宇说:“武吉布朗坟场不仅仅是一个埋葬地点,也是华人社群进行祭祖等仪式的地方。我们会记录这些仪式,以继续丰富我们有关新加坡非物质文化遗产的数据库。”

公众可通过在国家图书馆大厦9楼展出的“武吉布朗:记录新知识 开拓新视野”中英文展览,了解武吉布朗坟场上世纪的演变、坟墓设计和民间风俗等。图书馆大厦展览在10月10日结束后,将陆续在宏茂桥、裕廊、蔡厝港和大巴窑图书馆展出至明年1月底。