My Diary

Feng Tien Gong Temple (松山奉天宫) is located in the bustling housing estate of Songshan in Taipei City, Taiwan. Established approximately five decades ago, the temple is dedicated to the main deity, The Jade Emperor, also known as Tian Gong. A cultural exchange program between Fujian Province of China and Taiwan was proposed by leaders of both countries. It was held towards the end of 2010 in Taiwan and titled 八音花鼓鬧廰堂. Alongside our Taoist group, other performing troupes were selected from Quanzhou, Xiamen, Shishi, Nan'an, and Yongchun. Our Taoist group was assigned to perform a blessing ceremony at Feng Tien Gong Temple. During the cultural exchange performance held at a public theater in the Taipei City Government Building, the organizers arranged for our Taoist group to collaborate with the Yongchun Senior Folks Nanyim Association in staging a joint performance of Yongchun Traditional Music, 永春鬧廰, as the opening event. This musical ensemble boasts a unique artistic style rich in loc...

In mid-November this year, the Hian Eng Taoist Group was honored to conduct a thanksgiving ritual at Nam Yong Keng Temple, located in Klang Central, Selangor State, Malaysia, upon invitation. The main deity of the temple is Hui Ze Choon Ong 惠澤尊王, the Ancestral God of the Chinese Surname Ye 葉氏祖佛. Before the grand ritual, the temple management engaged the puppet performance service of Master Huang Zhen Cai 黄振財師傅, the 5th Generation leader of a famous puppet troupe in Johore State, Malaysia. The main ritual of thanksgiving lasted for three days. It primarily involves prayers to bless the living and to alleviate the suffering of spirits. Taoists believe in harmony between Yang (Positive Energy) and Yin (Negative Energy) to achieve tranquility in both realms. The grand finale of the ritual was crossing a seven-star bridge. I was told that the temple had never performed the crossing bridge blessing ceremony since it was established more than 40 years ago. Many pilgrims turned out for the ev...

Upon invitation by the temple management of Soon Hock Keng Chinese Temple, Taoist priests from Hian Eng Taoist Group conducted a 3-day ritual of thanksgiving.   The temple is operating a temporary place of worship located within the Central Klang Valley vicinity. The main deity revered at the temple is Zhang Gong Shen Jun, also known as Fazhugong  法主公  in  Chinese . During the three-day ritual, many questions arose regarding a Taoist rite known as Chi Shui Jin Tan, also known as Cleansing Water Ceremony (敕水禁壇). The cleansing water ritual begins with the invocation of gods to purify the water and sanctify the space. This Taoist rite aims to cleanse the ceremonial area, removing impurities and halting negative influences, such as black magic or disruptive energies, within the Taoist place of worship. During the ritual, Taoist priests from the Zheng-Yi sect perform dynamic movements, including playing with swords and destroying the bronze flag column, which are believed...

In the past, the seventh moon prayers were primarily organized by residents of small towns or villages. However, with the development of more private and public housing estates, these prayers have become scattered across various locations. As a result, what were once small-scale community events have evolved into medium-sized prayer gatherings held at different times depending on the financial capacity and preferences of the participants.   Klang serves as the royal capital of the State of Selangor in Malaysia, situated approximately 32 km west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang. Historically, it was the administrative capital of Selangor before Kuala Lumpur and the current capital, Shah Alam, emerged. Taman Indah, a small town located along the banks of Tepi Sungai within the Klang Central area, is part of this historical and geographic context.   The seventh moon prayers are widely observed by the majority of Chinese descendants living in Taman Indah. This tradi...

Last Sunday morning, I was pleased to witness an important milestone in Singaporean Taoist history. More than a hundred Taoists took vows to uphold the dignity of Taoism. The Taoist Federation of Singapore collaborated with the Longhushan Celestial Master Mansion of Jiangxi Province, China (江西省龍虎山嗣漢天師府), to hold its first induction ceremony for Taoist followers at San Qing Gong Temple. As expected, I saw many familiar faces during the ceremony, all present to support the betterment of our root religion. Additionally, many of my seniors from the Longhushan Celestial Master Mansion—such as Master Ceng Guang-Liang 曾廣亮道長 and Master Zhang Gui-Hua 張貴華道長—were present and had been conducting the rituals since the day before. Taoist priests from the Longhushan Celestial Master Mansion conducted a cleansing ritual to properly prepare the site for worship. During the ceremony, they also performed a formal ritual to invite the deities and request their blessings. In the finale of the ceremony, a...

The famous mother temple of Zhang Gong Sheng Jun, also known as Fazhugong, is located on Mount Shiniu in Dehua County. The temple is situated in a cave approximately 1700 meters above sea level, known as Shihudong. According to folk tales, the cave was once inhabited by five ghosts who were eventually captured by Fazhugong and his two brothers. This deity is depicted with unkempt long hair, holding a sword in one hand and entangled with a snake in the other. The air at Shihudong remains fresh throughout the year. Standing outside the cave and admiring the beauty of the vast clouds gives one a feeling of heaven on earth and comfort. During temple celebrations, numerous devotees from China, Taiwan, and Malaysia gather. They wake up early to trek up to the cave, hoping to catch the sunrise at Shihudong. On the auspicious annual thanksgiving day, our Taoist priest initiates the ceremony by beating a drum, followed by the crackle of gunfire, symbolizing hopes for prosperity and good fortune...

Ancestor worship in Chinese tradition is a deeply rooted practice aimed at honoring ancestors, seeking their guidance, and ensuring their continued spiritual well-being in the afterlife. It reflects cultural values of filial piety, respect for elders, and the importance of familial connections across generations. In Chinese tradition, bereaved family members of a deceased will set up a home altar for the purpose of ancestor worship after the funeral. The altar normally includes a photograph of the deceased, an inscription of its name on a memorial tablet, and an urn for offerings. Daily or twice-daily offerings are made to ensure the deceased has a good start in the afterlife. Necessities such as the deceased's favorite food and drink are placed on the altar. After 49 days, the altar is usually taken down, which marks the period during which the deceased is believed to undergo judgment in the netherworld. Following this, the deceased is worshipped alongside all other ancestors of t...