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Eve of the Year of the Horse

Seeking blessings on 除夕晚.

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

February 6^th, 2014

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

On the night before the lunar new year, devotees gather at temples all over Singapore to seek blessings for the year ahead. Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo St is one of the most popular spots in Singapore for this yearly ritual. Here are some images I captured with my Sony A7 and the Sony 55mm F1.8 ZA as I accompanied my mother on her rounds.

I drive my mother to the temples she wants to visit every year. It is not my personal religion but I drive her anyway.

What are these photos about?

Joss sticks are sold on the street, in large and extra-large sizes. And flaming Milo tins are provided for devotees to light their joss sticks. One of the challenges of the evening is driving home with the lighted joss sticks after they have been offered at the temple. It usually involves winding down the car window and sticking the lot out there.

The young and the old, the rich and the poor, they all come here. It is a democratic place for the universal need of seeking the protection and blessings of a higher power.

Yueh Hai Ching Temple

Our second and final stop is always the Yueh Hai Ching Temple at Phillip Street, right in the heart of the CBD. It is the oldest Taoist temple in Singapore, built between 1850-1855 by Teochew settlers from Guangzhou. The shrine was dedicated to Tian Hou, the Goddess of the Sea, and faced the sea (until land was reclaimed in front of it). Its name means Temple of the Calm Seas. Sailors, settlers and traders would come here in the early days of Singapore to give thanks for a safe journey.