My Diary

As a Chinese saying, Xi'an is a symbol of Chinese culture. It is an ancient Chang'an, the ancient capital from old imperial palace of the Han and Tang Dynasty. The ancient capital of Xi'an which now located at Shaan’xi Province gave birth to a rich religious culture includes Taoism, Buddhism as well as Islam. Chong Yang Gong Temple in Xi’an is dedicated to the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, Master Wang Chong Yang. Also known as The Complete Perfection Tradition of The School of Taoism, Quanzhen Sect emphasized that Taoist cultivation should properly begin with the self. Specifically, the self must be emptied of selfish desires. Chong Yang Gong Temple has a historical establishment for more than 800 years, and land covers about six acres. The palace was renovated two years ago and I was fascinated with a nice gallery of Taoist exhibits such as the sacred tower that consist of those remains of Master Wang Chong Yang still visible at such close proximity. It was my honour to st

A group of film images students from Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore was doing a documentary on paranormal encounters and this is the summary report of their enquries. In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calender is called Zhong Yuan Festival, in which ghosts and wandering spirits including those of the deceased ancestors revisit a cosmopolitan world from the lower realm. Intrinsic to the festival is ancestor worship where traditional activities during that month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the 'visiting spirits' of the ancestors. On the other hand, ancestral veneration is another way to pay respect to the deceased. It seeks to honour the good deeds and memories of the deceased. This is an extension of filial piety for the ancestors, and the ultimate homage to the deceased as if they are alive. Instead of setting up an ancestr