Ching Ming Festival 2010

Damansara Chinese Cemetery, Subang

Chinese all over the world are observing Ching Ming this week. It's a tomb sweeping day. Ching Ming literally means Pure and Brightness is a celebration of filial piety, a day or the Chinese to show their respect to their ancestors by cleaning the tombs and offering them food and paper paraphernalia. It usually falls in the 3rd month according to the Chinese Lunar calender, which is between March-April according to the Gregorian calendar.

My 5th Pak's (5th uncle) tomb

This event has been an annual family affair but nowadays, younger generation begin to shy away from this event, thinking that it's only another ritual and rites that seemed outdated. This is indeed sad as younger generation no longer appreciate their culture and the living legacy of Chinese civilisation.

Bro and my aunts

They failed to see the significance of such celebration. If we look beyond superstitious perspective, Ching Ming is actually a time for family gathering, a time for family reunion after a hard day work. It's a time to share with family members. In the olden days,the family members will gather at their ancestor's tomb and clean it together.

Mum and dad offering joss stick and candles

5th Pak's altar

The spirit of togetherness, helping each other with the sweeping chores is what strengthening the bond with each family member. We foster closer relationship, we work and we laugh together. After the mass prayer is the time everyone has been waiting for since morning: Food!!!

My ah koo (aunt) from Ipoh

Myself posing with 5th Pak, haha

Everyone will savour the offerings made to their deceased family members. Chicken, duck, roasted pig, chinese cakes, cookies, fruits, and even rice: Each of them will grab their favourite snack (I think this term is a more suitable as we'll take a little bit of everything). It's a tradition to eat a little as it's believed that the ancestor will bless their family members good health and prosperity. I think it's just a way to get everyone eating, as it's a courtesy to eat a little when food is served by the host, not to waste any food.

Treasure chest for 5th Pak, with his name on the yellow seal

This was how we delivered the treasure chest to him, the fastest and most reliable delivery service, Royal Hell Post

Mum, bro and aunt idling while delivering the chest to uncle

Another reason is because eating is the way to get everyone together and chat, no matter where you are or who you are. After all, we love food, don't we, ^^?

Bro, 5th Pak Leong (5th aunt), 5th Pak Leong's sis and I

Chinese is an ethnic group who treasures family ties, so much so that they are group themselves according to clan and place of origin. As such, festive season is the time to foster closer relationship, catching up with the relatives who have not been in contact for long time.If we study the Chinese festivals, one thing you could point out out is family reunion.

Mum, dad, Ah Koo, 5th Pak Leong, and her sis

Listed here are the major festivals and the get-together activities

1st month: Chinese New Year; reunion dinner.
3rd month: Ching Ming; tomb sweeping day.
5th month: Dragon Boat festival; dumpling-making activity.
7th month: Zhong Yuan Festival aka Hungry Ghost Festival; mass prayer to the King of Hades and wandering spirits.
8th month: Mid-Autumn Festival; prayer to the Moon Goddess Chang Er and Moon-observing.
10th month: Winter Solstice Festival; tangyuan-making and reunion dinner

Understanding the significance of these traditional chinese festivals gives us a clearer picture of the roots of Chinese culture and thus helps us to appreciate what makes the Chinese a unique race throughout their long history and civilisation.

Thean Hou Temple

Main Entrance of Thean Hou Temple, KL

It has been a long time since I last visited Thean Hou Temple in Seputeh, KL. When Mun Li decided to ask me to be a KL guide for her German friend, I thought it was a good idea to revisit this popular Chinese temple. But honestly, I'm not a good KL guide. If you ask me anything about KL, probably I would tell you KL is the capital of Malaysia, that's all.

Pavilion
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Anyway, talking about Thean Hou Temple, a quick browse on the internet reveled that the temple was built in 1987. It was actually relocated from Jalan Sultan, KL. This temple belongs to Selangor and Federal Hainan Association. I guess it functions like a clan house, just like those clan houses cum temples you can find in Penang. By looking at the temple you can tell that the architecture is of Hokkien influence, with multiple-tier roof, decorated with 2 most auspicious mythical creatures in Chinese culture, Dragon and Phoenix.

Multiple-tier roofs with ornaments
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Dragon
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Phoenix
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Other mythical creatures
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

The patron deity in this temple is Thean Hou Goddess. She is well-known by another name, Mazu. She is the patron deity of the sea, overseeing the well-being of fisherman in the ocean. Before going out to fish in the ocean, fishermen would pray to her, seeking for protection and a smooth sailing fishing trip in the ocean. Mazu is believed to have lived in the early Northen Song Dynasty, in year 960. Her real name was Lin Moniang.

Thean Hou Goddess aka Mazu

In the early days, Hainan people were mostly fisherman. Thus, they brought together the practice of worshipping Mazu to Malaysia when they came to Nanyang (southern sea, referring to Malaysia and Singapore). Today,the practice of worshiping Mazu is still popular in Taiwan, Fujian China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin

Dog, my zodiac animal according to the Chinese lunar calendar

Yuet Lao, the match maker deity

Lotus candle, symbolises purity and enlightenment

Every year, Thean Hou Temple would be festooned with red lantern during the Chinese New Year. If you come by night, you can enjoy the beauty of Thean Hou Temple glittering like stars with the yellow neon bulbs lining the edge of the roofs. Coupled with the colourful bright lanterns, this temple resembles a shining diamond as night falls.