77
a] Changhua Laoye Shen
It
seen in Singapore on a Hainanese wayyang street theatre altar connected in some way with the major China-wide deity Hua Guang Dadi.
b] As with small folk religion temples in all southern Chinese communities there are very minor deities on their altars about whom nothing is known. The following stand on a side altar in a small Hainanese temple on the Tampines Road in Singapore and are largely ignored though they are prayed to by a few devotees, more in passing rather than specifically for protection:
main deity: The Marquis of the Heaven of the Buddhas, Fo Tian Houwang
Soldier astride a red horse, wearing green and gilt armour, with a pink face, black beard and a sword raised in his right hand.
flanked by: Shata Zunwang Qi Guan
and
Soldier astride a white horse, with green-gilt robes, black beard, brown face and sword raised in his right hand.
Yongmeng Yatou Wang San Guan
Soldier astride a black horse, with green-gilt robes over his armour, black bearded and a sword raised in his right hand.
Conclusion
There are some seventy to eighty major Han Chinese folk religion deities to be found in every part of China, and Hainan is no exception. However, in Hainan as in every local community, be it province, county, town or village, and even ethnic group, there are also local deified heroes and worthies not seen beyond their immediate area.
Taken all in all, the range of deities on Hainanese altars is much the same as in all the other southern Chinese Han ethnic group temples. Hainanese communities, however, do have a number of uniquely Hainanese cult deities both on Hainan island as well as within Hainanese communities in south-east Asia. Although their legends are unique to
77
a] Changhua Laoye Shen
it
seen in Singapore on a Hainanese wayyang street theatre altar connected in some way with the major China-wide deity Hua Guang Dadi.
b] As with small folk religion temples in all southern Chinese communities there are very minor deities on their altars about whom nothing is known. The following stand on a side altar in a small Hainanese temple on the Tampenis Road in Singapore and are largely ignored though they are prayed to by a few devotees, more in passing rather than specifically for protection:
main deity: The Marquis of the Heaven of the buddhas, Fo Tian
Houwang
Soldier astride a red horse, wearing green and gilt armour, with a pink face, black beard and a sword raised inhis right hand.
flanked by: Shata Zunwang Qi Guan
and
Soldier astride a white horse, with green-gilt robes, black beard, brown face and sword raised in his right hand.
لم
Yongmeng Yatou Wang San Guan £=T
Soldier astride a black horse, with green-gilt robes over his armour,
black beaed and a sword raised in his right hand.
Conclusion
There are some seventy to eighty major Han Chinese folk religion deities to be found in every part of China, and Hainan is no exception. However, in Hainan as in every local community, be it province, county, town or village, and even ethnic group, there are also local deified heroes and worthies not seen beyond their immediate area.
Taken all in all, the range of deities on Hainanese altars is much the same as in all the other southern Chinese Han ethnic group temples. Hainanese communities, however, do have a number of uniquely Hainanese cult deities both on Hainan island as well as within Hainanese communities in south-east Asia. Although their legends are unique to
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