Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Do you believe in spirit babies? In Chinese, we call them 婴灵 (Yīng Líng). They are the souls of babies who were aborted, miscarried, stillborn or died shortly after birth. Most of the time, they were not properly buried (especially aborted in hospital, their remains would be thrown into biohazard bags along with other bodily fluids for burning) or have a name/tablet for themselves.
In my previous post, I mentioned about exhuming my grandfather and the contractors would then take his cleaned remains to the crematorium to get cremated. Do you know what usually happens next? This is solely based on my uncle and friend’s experiences. This is part of their Chinese ritual after cremation. It is solely for your reference. This procedure of bone picking does not apply to everyone around the world or for any other religions. Furthermore, each religion and country has their own rituals after cremation.
Bongeunsa Buddhist temple was founded in 794 during the United Shilla Dynasty, with a 23-metre tall Maitreya Buddha statue. We came across this temple while visiting Starfield COEX mall.
On day 7 of our South Korea trip, we went to the underground shopping mall – Starfield COEX Mall to avoid the rain and to visit Starfield Library! This mall is in the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea. It was relatively far away from our location in Myeongdong and it took us nearly 40 minutes to travel there. It is located near Samseong station on Seoul Subway Line 2, at the intersection of Teheranno and Yeongdong Dae-ro.
Jogyesa Temple is the main temple of the Jogye Order and a symbol of Korean Buddhism, and it is located in the heart of Seoul. It was founded in 1910 and is a place to practice Buddhism as well as a centre for education, culture and social services. This is a very impressive and colourful temple. The Main Dharma Hall/Daeungjeon is open 24 hours a day to the public.
On Day 6 of our South Korea trip, we went on a DMZ and Ganghwa Island day tour which we booked via the Klook app. When we first booked this trip, we were unsure if this was the same DMZ trip as we had previously booked. Anyway, after booking it, we realised that this DMZ trip is on the other end of South Korea – Peace Observatory in Ganghwa island. Hence we booked another proper DMZ tour.
Whenever I visit Singapore with friends, I will often take them to Chinatown. Not only to get a feel for the vibe but also to visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.
In my earlier post on the meaning of the 15 days of the Lunar New Year, I mentioned that on the fourth day, it is the day to pray 太岁/Tài Suì for a year of protection and to avert adversities. Now I am going to tell you more about him.
In my many Chinese New Year blog and craft posts, I’ve regularly mentioned that the Lunar New Year celebration lasts for 15 days, but have yet to explain the special significance, meanings and traditions behind each day. Finally, I have time to sit down to gather the information on the meaning of the 15 days of the Lunar New Year. Yes, the 15 days are now over and we are heading towards the end of the first month of water Rabbit 2023! Nevertheless, please do check it out!
After we moved from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan, I often visited Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (光明山普觉禅寺) for praying and to bring me closer to Buddhism. I choose to believe in this religion not because of the influence of my parents. Nevertheless, my dad’s plaque is now situated at Kong Meng San, I have even more reasons to visit when I am back in Singapore.
Since I moved to the UK, whenever I fly back to Singapore, my mum will remind me to give my thanks to the Goddess of the Seas Ma Zu. I always do as I’m told, but I have no idea who she is and why. This was quite embarrassing so I would like to use this opportunity to educate myself and of course, if you happened to travel to Singapore, suggest a visit to this historic temple Thian Hock Keng.
The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival is also known as Zhong Yuan Jie. In Chinese culture (especially Asian countries), the Chinese Lunar seventh month calendar is regarded as the Ghost Month in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, release from the lower realm (Buddhist- the wheel of Samsara) for the whole month. During this month, there will be a grand scale of praying and celebration which will have Getai (singing in Hokkien or Teochew) and dinner with bidding for lucky things on such a night.
