Loyang Tua Peh Kong
In what must be our randomest advenjah of the year, we visited Loyang Tua Pek Kong -- a Taoist temple dedicated to the Tua Pek Kong (d'uh) the God of Prosperity. It also houses a Muslim Kramat -- or shrine -- and a large altar dedicated to Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god. It was a pretty amazing place, and it exuded a sense of peace and harmony -- something I did not quite expect because I get a bad case of heebie jeebies in many Chinese-type temples.
The temple started as a hut some fishing buddies set up in the 1980 to house these Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist religious figurines found discarded at a Loyang beach area. For some reason, visitors said they had good luck and it drew crowds. Then a fire razed it 1996 (not very good luck, hey >.<), and all its religious statues were lost – save one -- of Tua Pek Kong. In honour of this lucky little statue, the new temple was named after it. The temple still accepts religious statues, and they get thousands each year. People can take home any statue they want -- kind of an adopt-a-deity programme? -- and are encouraged to give a small donation if they do. It was a little sad to see the shelves of discarded and dusty dieties. It made me think of American Gods and the way gods loose their power when people stop believing.
Devotee
In what must be our randomest advenjah of the year, we visited Loyang Tua Pek Kong -- a Taoist temple dedicated to the Tua Pek Kong (d'uh) the God of Prosperity. It also houses a Muslim Kramat -- or shrine -- and a large altar dedicated to Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god. It was a pretty amazing place, and it exuded a sense of peace and harmony -- something I did not quite expect because I get a bad case of heebie jeebies in many Chinese-type temples.
The temple started as a hut some fishing buddies set up in the 1980 to house these Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist religious figurines found discarded at a Loyang beach area. For some reason, visitors said they had good luck and it drew crowds. Then a fire razed it 1996 (not very good luck, hey >.<), and all its religious statues were lost – save one -- of Tua Pek Kong. In honour of this lucky little statue, the new temple was named after it. The temple still accepts religious statues, and they get thousands each year. People can take home any statue they want -- kind of an adopt-a-deity programme? -- and are encouraged to give a small donation if they do. It was a little sad to see the shelves of discarded and dusty dieties. It made me think of American Gods and the way gods loose their power when people stop believing.
Adopt-a-Deity
Devotee
