Temple going green with LED lanterns
SIBU: Chairman of Tua Pek Kong Temple Penghulu Soon Choon Hoo said the temple hoped to celebrate a greener Rooster Year as the Chinese New Year nears, with LED lanterns and no towering joss sticks.
Speaking to thesundaypost after the official lighting of their lanterns by Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King on Friday night, Soon called on devotees to collaborate their efforts with the council in promoting a greener Sibu management.
He said his temple encouraged them to reduce the size of incense sticks, and he hoped they would avoid lighting giant dragon incense to reduce smoke emission.
“The council chairman discussed this with me during the lantern lighting ceremony on Friday night. I agreed to his suggestion. This is a way our temple can work with the council to reduce smoke emission. After all, the council has been successful in working out green management of the town, and this is an effort we should work with them.”
Soon said he welcomed the council to write in officially so that they could include the matter in their meeting agenda to work on building a greener Sibu with the community. He said his temple did not provide giant dragon incense sticks any longer, clarifying that some giant incenses were brought in by the devotees themselves.
Tua Pek Kong Temple, the oldest Chinese temple built in the 1850s, hung 1,800 red lanterns this year to celebrate the Chinese New Year – the biggest festival of the Chinese community – and in collaboration with the town’s Visit Sibu Year (VSY) 2017.
It is the tradition of the Chinese community to throng the temple at auspicious times to offer thanksgiving amidst Lion and Dragon dances and other cultural highlights.
Soon said a crowd of 10,000 was anticipated on Chinese New Year Eve and on the first day of the festival.On the lanterns, he said they were hanging up 1,800 fixed with LED bulbs to reduce power consumption.
“With nearly 2,000 lanterns, we consume a lot of power. Therefore, we switch to using LED bulbs.” He said following the lantern lighting ceremony, the community was now going into the final stretch for the biggest festival of the year. Observing a ritual, he said spring cleaning in the temple followed after the lanterns were lit and as they sent off their deity heavenward for the festive celebration with the heavenly host.
He said they had also dressed the Tua Pek Kong statue in new clothes as they sent him off on Friday night.
“Not only have we swept the temple clean, we changed the altar cloths as well. The temple looks fresh after spring cleaning now.”
Soon said a string of the festive activities followed, lasting until the 15th day of the Lunar New Year.
“The celebration will peak out on the Chinese New Year Eve when thousands of devotees throng the temple to offer thanksgiving.”
He said on the first day of the Chinese New Year, the temple would share festive joy with the community by giving out free uncooked rice and 10,000 red packets (ang pow) amidst Lion and Dragon dances.
He said they would have men dressing up as gods of fortune to greet visitors at the temple.
“The rice we give out is a symbol of sharing food towards a year of harmony, luck, health and prosperity. The ang pow is a token of goodwill and a symbol of blessing.”
He said another major celebration would burst on the evening of the eighth day of the Lunar New Year when they celebrated the birthday of deity Jade Emperor – the keeper of heaven and earth.
He said Chinese New Year would end on Chap Goh Meh as devotees returned to offer prayers for their undertakings of the year.
Soon said: “The temple will be brightly lit until Chap Goh Meh. Our 1,800 red lanterns will bring cultural goodwill in the blessings of luck and prosperity. Let’s share the festive joy in the harmony of Sarawak.”