76
within their memorial temples in Hainan. They may or may not be regarded as deities as details are not available, and may perhaps be simply ladies honoured for a specific reason.
The first is Huang Dao po [characters not available], who is said to have lived during the 14th century in Hainan and was proficient at cotton spinning. She travelled to central China where she taught the art of spinning to local women. There was [and may still be] a memorial temple to her in Qiongzhou in Hainan but once more, without any details.
The second is Taihua Furen
A) who has only been noted
once. Her tablet has been seen on an altar in Hainan, and apart from it being the spirit of a human, who is again said to have lived during the 14th century, again nothing further is known.
b] Liang Qinzhong, a Hainanese boy of seventeen, was struck and killed by lightning in a small kampong in Tanglin in Singapore in 1963. Shortly after it happened the ladies of the Hainanese community in the kampong in which Liang had lived attributed remarkable events to his spirit, and whenever they prayed before his tablet their wishes were fulfilled2. Quite quickly a cult developed and devotees came from all around. An attap hut shrine, dedicated to Shuiwei Shengniang, was altered to make way for a secondary altar on to which was placed the tablet dedicated to Liang Taiye, together with a portrait image of the youth. Above the image of Liang hung a sketch of him dressed in scholar's robes with a flash of lightning entering his breast. He was believed to have obtained power [ling] from the bolt, and continued to answer devotee's pleas to their satisfaction. One of the walls of the attap hut was hung with framed testimonials, many bearing a photograph of the person who had been helped by the deity. His festival was held annually on his birthday, the 12th of the seventh lunar month. This cult disappeared from Tanglin once the kampong had been demolished during the early seventies to make way for a new housing estate.
8: Unidentified Images believed to be uniquely Hainanese
There have been a number of deities, noted either on lists of the gods within a temple or on the front face of their socle which remain unidentified. These include:
76
within their memorial temples in Hainan. They may or may not be regarded as deities as details are not available, and may perhaps be simply ladies honoured for a specific reason.
The first is Huang Dao po [characters not available], who is said to have lived during the 14th century in Hainan and was proficient at cotton spinning. She travelled to central China where she taught the art of spinning to local women. There was [and may still be] a memorial temple to her in Qiongzhou in Hainan but once more, without any details.
The second is Taihua Furen
A who has only been noted
once. Her tablet has been seen on an altar in Hainan, and apart from it being the spirit of a human, who is again said to have lived during the 14th century, again nothing further is known.
b] Liang Qinzhong, a Hainanese boy of seventeen, was struck and killed by lightning in a small kampong in Tanglin in Singapore in 1963. Shortly after it happened the ladies of the Hainanese community in the kampong in which Liang had lived attributed remarkable events to his spirit, and whenever they prayed before his tablet their wishes were fulfilled2. Quite quickly a cult developed and devotees came from all around. An attap hut shrine, dedicated to Shuiwei Shengniang, was altered to make way for a secondary altar on to which was placed the tablet dedicated to Liang Taiye, together with a portrait image of the youth. Above the image of Liang hung a sketch of him dressed in scholar's robes with a flash of lightning entering his breast. He was believed to have obtained power [ling] from the bolt, and continued to answer devotee's pleas to their satisfaction. One of the walls of the attap hut was hung with framed testimonials, many bearing a photograph of the person who had been helped by the deity. His festival was held annually on his birthday, the 12th of the seventh lunar month. This cult disappeared from Tanglin once the kampong had been demolished during the early seventies to make way for a new housing estate.
8: Unidentified Images believed to be uniquely Hainanese
There have been a number of deities, noted either on lists of the gods within a temple or on the front face of their socle which remain unidentified. These include:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.