The hot afternoon suddenly turn grey with a threatening sky as we gathered in front of Thian Hock Keng Temple along Telok Ayer Street. Some 35 people or more turned up as we have members from the Singapore Heritage Yahoogroups and Taoism-Singapore Yahoogroups. Busloads of tourists were also arriving and so we were hardput to find a quiet place for our anthropologist, Bro ChanCW to share his cellful load of information. In this tour, Bro Chan brought the people to the era of post Mazu. During the Song Dynasty in ancient China, the northern silk route was troubled by the warlords and bandits. China had to find another means of transport and trade. The sea silk route was eventually established. The boatman and the merchants travelling by sea were at the mercy of the sea. Many would seek the protection of Mazu in their sea travel.
Mazu's history (you can read about it on the beautifully designed poster in Thian Hock Keng) is interesting and she lived in Meizhou Island, Putian County of Fujian Province. With tongue-in-cheek, Bro Chan quipped that Cheng Ho (Zheng He) was one of the main persons responsible for spreading the belief and worship of Mazu everywhere he and his fleet went. On board every of his boat, there was a Mazu statue. It is also saying that Mazu could be the pioneer Foreign Minister of China because amongst so many Goddess or Deity that one could find on many shores, from Nanyang to Japan and even San Francisco. Where there are Chinese (maybe from Southern China) landing on the foreign land, there could be a Mazu Temple.
Through stories about how she saved many people, I further explain that when she became immortalised, many temples were built in her honour. Mazu is said to be born on the 23rd of the 3rd Moon and she achieved immortality on the 9th of the 9th Moon. Interestingly, this second date is seldom heard of in Singapore, although in China and Taiwan, there are festive events held. It is said that there are three manifestations of Mazu, the one with the skin coloured face (that's her in human form), one with golden face, and one with a black face. It is said that when one seeks help, it is the black faced Mazu that one should seek and she would respond. I also share with the group that Mazu is also been appointed in-command of the rain, and hence we were welcomed by her with the tiny weeny droplets of rain. As it guiding us to stop at different parts of the temple, we went from the side to the main court to the main hall and finally to the rear court.
The hot afternoon suddenly turn grey with a threatening sky as we gathered in front of Thian Hock Keng Temple along Telok Ayer Street. Some 35 people or more turned up as we have members from the Singapore Heritage Yahoogroups and Taoism-Singapore Yahoogroups. Busloads of tourists were also arriving and so we were hardput to find a quiet place for our anthropologist, Bro ChanCW to share his cellful load of information. In this tour, Bro Chan brought the people to the era of post Mazu. During the Song Dynasty in ancient China, the northern silk route was troubled by the warlords and bandits. China had to find another means of transport and trade. The sea silk route was eventually established. The boatman and the merchants travelling by sea were at the mercy of the sea. Many would seek the protection of Mazu in their sea travel.
Mazu's history (you can read about it on the beautifully designed poster in Thian Hock Keng) is interesting and she lived in Meizhou Island, Putian County of Fujian Province. With tongue-in-cheek, Bro Chan quipped that Cheng Ho (Zheng He) was one of the main persons responsible for spreading the belief and worship of Mazu everywhere he and his fleet went. On board every of his boat, there was a Mazu statue. It is also saying that Mazu could be the pioneer Foreign Minister of China because amongst so many Goddess or Deity that one could find on many shores, from Nanyang to Japan and even San Francisco. Where there are Chinese (maybe from Southern China) landing on the foreign land, there could be a Mazu Temple.
Through stories about how she saved many people, I further explain that when she became immortalised, many temples were built in her honour. Mazu is said to be born on the 23rd of the 3rd Moon and she achieved immortality on the 9th of the 9th Moon. Interestingly, this second date is seldom heard of in Singapore, although in China and Taiwan, there are festive events held. It is said that there are three manifestations of Mazu, the one with the skin coloured face (that's her in human form), one with golden face, and one with a black face. It is said that when one seeks help, it is the black faced Mazu that one should seek and she would respond. I also share with the group that Mazu is also been appointed in-command of the rain, and hence we were welcomed by her with the tiny weeny droplets of rain. As it guiding us to stop at different parts of the temple, we went from the side to the main court to the main hall and finally to the rear court.
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