Taoist priest on the altar performing prayers to feed the hungry ghost during Ghost Month Celebration at Sunway Mentari. |
A photoblog of stories, events, culture and travel. Let the images tell you what I see.
Monday, September 07, 2020
Faces of Hungry Ghost Festival - the Taoist Priest
Tuesday, September 01, 2020
You Are Looking for Me??? - the King of Hades (大士爷) Effigy
(You are looking for me??? I am coming....)
This year, it is very hard to find large scale Hungry Ghost celebrations (also known as Phor Thor) in Malaysia due to the Covid-19 pandemic as we are still in the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) imposed by the government.
To be able to find a King of Hades or Da Shi Yeh (大士爷) effigy to photograph is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Luckily a friend informed me that at Sunway Mentari they will be holding their Hungry Ghost Festival as usual albeit in a small scale, complete with the King of Hades paper effigy.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Hungry Ghost Month Taboos...
There are many Chinese taboos associated with the Hungry Ghost month. Listed below are 13 of them and the apparent reason(s) for those taboos, as well as a lighthearted take on those reasons...
Click on these links to see my other posts about this festival in:
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Hungry Tonight??? - Hungry Ghost Festival under the New Normal
Hungry Ghost Festival 2020 is here... albeit more toned down due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. |
Thursday, August 06, 2020
Thursday, May 07, 2020
Tuesday, October 08, 2019
Sending the Nine Emperor Gods Home - The End of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Ampang
So long, farewell... devotees from Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple sending the Nine Emperor Gods off at the end of the festival. |
- Eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 16th October 2020
- 1st Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 17th October 2020
- 9th Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 25th October 2020
Saturday, October 05, 2019
Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Procession 2019 - Walking in the Rain
And we were walking in the rain... but the light drizzle eventually stopped as the procession began. The rain didn't dampen the spirits of the participants and also helped to make the night a cool and pleasant walk for the Nine Emperor Gods procession that meandered through the old parts of Kuala Pilah town.
Walking (or rather waiting...) in the rain... Participants of Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Festival waiting for the signal to begin their annual procession. |
Crossing the Fire Pit - Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Temple
One for the show...performing for the Nine Emperor Gods. |
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Spray... When things get too hot to handle! |
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It is a wrap... |
Wednesday, October 02, 2019
Faces of Nine Emperor Gods Festival Jinjang - the Priest
Friday, September 27, 2019
Same same but Different - the Nine Emperor Gods Festival
- Same same rites and rituals but there are (minor) differences...
- Same same schedule of event every year, with minor tweaks and additions or omissions...
- Same same people participate every year, except they are one year older...
- Same same deity but the invitation timing is different...
- Same same concept of invitation (from a body of water) but locations are different (river, sea, etc)
- Same same God that they pray to but rules of who can participate in the festival and/or fire walking is different from temple to temple
- Same same kind of vegetarian food, but prices are way way different.
- Same same shots taken... but many different stories can be told from the shots of the festival...
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Almost time for.... Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019
Just a few more days to the start of Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019. So here is a survival checklist to help you gauge if you are ready for the festival:
- White clothes, pants and head cover.
- Vegetarian foodstuff - think of tofu and mock meat, fermented bean paste to seaweed
- Camera and accessories
- White candles, red tortoise buns and yellow talismans
- Stamina
- and even more stamina to last the nine days
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Be Spirited Away - Hungry Ghost Festival
This includes the symbolic act of Breaking the Walls of Hell (Hell is a paper fort with flimsy paper doors!!) by the priest and the sprinting of the deceased from Hell by their relatives to a ship waiting to set sail for Western Paradise.
In some places, spirit mediums and trance sessions are part of the festival.
6. The Big Burn aka Sending Off the Deities and Spirits
All the paper effigies, unburnt joss sticks, candles, offerings plus lots of joss money are piled up and set on fire to return the King of Hades and his retinue back to where they belong as well as to send the deceased to heaven.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Friday, January 11, 2019
Colourful Festivals of Malaysia - Thaipusam
A female devotee rolling on the ground until the steps of the caves as part of her penance. Helping her along the way are her family members. |
In Penang, there are many locations where the devotees are pierced. The market area of Lorong Kulit (behind the city stadium) is where the large kavadis are placed onto the devotees and a good place to catch glimpses of those scary piercings.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Loy Loy Krathong...
น้ำก็นองเต็มตลิ่ง
เราทั้งหลายชายหญิง
สนุกกันจริงวันลอยกระทง
ลอย ลอยกระทง
ลอย ลอยกระทง
ลอยกระทงกันแล้ว
ขอเชิญน้องแก้วออกมารำวง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ
wan pen deuan sìp sŏng
náam gôr nong dtem dtà-lìng
rao táng lăai chaai yĭng
sà-nùk gan jing wan loy grà-tong
loy loy loy grà-tong
loy loy loy grà-tong
loy grà-tong gan láew
kŏr chern nóng gâew òk maa ram wong
ram wong wan loy grà-tong
ram wong wan loy grà-tong
bun jà sòng hâi rao sùk jai
bun jà sòng hâi rao sùk jai
Thursday, August 02, 2018
Timeless Charm of Bà Thiên Hậu (Thien Hau Temple) in Saigon
If you are in District 5 of of Saigon, do make it a point to see the Thien Hau Temple there. Officially known as Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu (Pagoda of the Lady Heaven Empress aka Mazu), the temple is quintessentially Chinese in architecture. Whilst there are many Mazu temples elsewhere around the world that are bigger, or more grand, this temple is unique as it has that old school charm typical of Chinese diaspora temples.
Look at the roof ceramic diorama, the altar decorations and setup, and donation slips being hung in the temple, and you get transported back in time to when the temple was possibly the grandest ever built at that time in that area and was the focal point of the Chinese community in Saigon. Indeed this is one of the many temples that carries the timeless charm of old Saigon, Vietnam.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Coming up - Thaipusam 2017
Vel! Vel! Veeravel! Vel! Vel! Vetrivel!
Son: Ooo, magic Vel (spear)!
Mother: Yes dear, now go play outside, don't make a mess in here...
Son: Can I go play (beat up) with the (bad) kid next door, Soorapadman? Please, please?
Mother: Ughhh... just play nice, OK?
Son: Okay Mommy (YES! I am so gonna split him in half)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Kashmir - of Kangri pots, Pheran cloaks, and the men and women who use them
The Kangri or wicker basket brazier / fire-pot. |
A Kashmiri men in pheran with his kangri by the rodside near him (by the green post). |
They are NOT pregnant - they are just keeping their pots in there. These women in pheran seemed to carry their pots a little higher that the men do. |
No, she is not handicapped and definitely not pregnant! She is merely holding the kangri with her right hand. |
The water bong and a kangri - all that a man would need in Kashmir. |
The fire-pot man in Pahalgam - see this post about him: Faces of Kashmir - The Fire-Pot Man |
The women of the family are responsible for the hard work of bringing in the firewood for the charcoals. |
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Faces of Kashmir - The Fire-Pot Man
See this post as well regarding the Kangri in Kashmir - of Kangri pots, Pheran cloaks, and the men and women who use them.