It’s 7PM in the city of limestone peaks — Ipoh, the air is still damp after rain. A bunch of eager youths gather at the space in front of the row of shophouses in which Zhong Shen Trading nestled. After bringing out various props, they start practicing basic martial arts and lion dance moves under the guidance of Master Teh Wing Liang, then proceeding to...
Category: Cultural Customs
Stories about Malaysian festivals, ceremonies, beliefs, performing traditions, and community practices that shape local cultural life.
The Dedication of Merits
The sounds of cymbals, drums and suona accompanied Taoist prayer chanting, around 100 members of the Hau family gathered together at their ancestral house in red mourning attire, burning incense and kneeling to pray under the guidance of five Taoist priests. Through joint effort over several months, the entire family organized a commemoration ceremony in conjunction with the third death anniversary of the late old...
Paper Offerings for Jade Emperor’s Birthday in Butterworth
36 pieces of 16-inch joss paper folded in half, tied in the middle by a red string, fold the tip of each sheet in alternating directions to shape into a lotus base. Pull a string through three stacked lotus bases and fasten them together, then make a belt out of red paper, thus completing a joss paper lotus (“liân-hue kim” in Hokkien). During Chinese New...
Read full story: Paper Offerings for Jade Emperor’s Birthday in Butterworth