Greetings, Lowyat/Kopitiam goers.

I'm a lifelong Klang resident, and a long-time enthusiast/practitioner/student of Chinese folk religion and ritual activities (the 'sintua [神坛] scene', as some call it). I primarily associate with the Hell deities, such as Elder and Second Brother [大二爷伯, also known as the 黑白无常 or Black and White Ghosts], and Hell-related topics are where I am most knowledgeable; however, I do pray to several Heavenly gods, as well.

The sintua scene is so vibrant and widespread in Malaysia; I was thinking of starting a discussion thread about it here, so that fellow sintua buffs might be able to discuss this wonderful aspect of Chinese culture. A lot of misconceptions, ignorant beliefs, etc concerning the sintua scene have been going around; perhaps this thread can be used as an educational tool. I'm more than happy to answer questions, clarify facts and so on.

Pics related; the first is me at the temple I normally attend, and the second is me worshipping at home. Let's hear it from all the other sintua people here!

Geez. Pretty quiet in here; surely there MUST be people who adhere to Chinese folk religion on this forum? I did a search of the Kopitiam and saw plenty of threads on Datuk worship, the Hungry Ghost Festival and other related topics.

Thanks, Seager - feel free to talk about the subject or ask any questions if you so please!

There are quite a number of non-Chinese adherents of Chinese folk religion, in actual fact. For example, here is an Indian medium who is channelling Second Brother (二爷伯).



Still waiting and hoping that some sintua people will come in here to participate. I wonder if I posted this topic in the correct section...

I'm praying - performing a ritual to invoke my gods, summoning them to partake of the offerings I will serve.

The costume is a symbol of my allegiance.

Not daring to reply? Aw, man. I don't bite, you know. And neither do the gods - unless you're a bad person, of course.

Maybe I should've created this thread in the regular /k section, lol. All the other threads on ghosts, gods and devils seem to be located over there.


I might swing by, thanks. I'm not a PJ resident, but enjoy listening to ghost stories of all kinds.

You and me both, haha. I've had several encounters myself, most of which were nothing serious. In fact, I can say that only ONE of my encounters was truly extreme/nasty, and it was this encounter, which took place during the Hungry Ghost Festival many, many years ago, that started me on my current religious path, because one the gods whom I pray to probably saved my life then.

Most ghostly beings are usually quite content to keep themselves to themselves. I believe we generally have more to fear from other humans than ghosts.

It's all about separating the wheat from the chaff, I guess. The more authentic ghost stories usually don't involve anything too outlandish.

Haha - what I said is that ghosts usually KEEP themselves to themselves, meaning that they usually mind their own business and leave humans alone.

It's not always easy to tell which mediums are real and which are fake, unfortunately. But there are a few pointers - real mediums do not charge fixed monetary fees, do not make any illegal demands (such as sexual favours) and do not perform any illegal services (such as placing curses on people).

And at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. Fake mediums cannot produce any real results, the same way a fake doctor cannot heal sick people.

Hello Tension, the Hell deities are the spiritual police force and justice system of Chinese folk religion. They deal with matters concerning death and the afterlife, are involved in the punishment of sinners, and are good at subduing evil spirits.

I worship them because they been very kind to me, protecting me from harm and guiding me throughout my life. My line of work involves regularly dealing with people who are either close to death or already dead - I used to work in a funeral home, and currently work as an emergency room doctor.

Hell-based chants and talismans are somewhat different from those associated with Heavenly deities. For instance, Hell talismans may contain dark or death-related images, such as skulls and bat's wings, and are often green in colour, instead of the usual yellow (see below).





Incense/joss sticks are normally offered to them in multiples of seven rather than the usual three. Seven is a number that is closely associated with the Hellish or Yin side - the moon, a Yin heavenly body, has seven phases; a newly departed soul can stay on earth for up to 49 days before leaving for the next world (49 is made up of seven sevens); and the Seventh Month is when the Hungry Ghost Festival takes place.

Also, Hell deities prefer 'rougher' offerings such as roasted meat, alcohol, opium and cigarettes (see below).

Hi Arthur/Tension, 'giving something for them to protect you' is behaviour usually associated with beings that are either neutral or evil in terms of alignment. The Hell deities are of a lawful good alignment, and will selflessly help the needy.

My story goes along these lines.

Ever since I was a small child, I was always interested in Chinese myths and folklore, especially classic Chinese ghost stories like those in the 聊斋志异. I would be very curious whenever I went to temples; I would often run off and explore on my own, plus try and find out whatever I could about the gods there. The interest was more academic than anything else, though. I didn't TRULY start believing until I was about eight years old.

It was the Seventh Month. Being my usual naughty self, I went out on a walk to a friend's place all by myself, at about eight-thirty p.m. or so. Didn't care about the old folks' warnings to stay in so the wandering spirits wouldn't get me; I was one of those kids who thought that bad things only happened to other people.

As I walked through the night-time neighbourhood, I passed by one of those candlelit roadside altars for the wandering spirits. It was specially dedicated to the spirits of dead children. There were two dolls on the altar, representing male children and female children, plus lots of sweets, milk bottles and other 'kiddy' offerings.

Something like this.



The dolls creeped me out. In the candlelight, it almost looked as though their eyes were watching me. I hurried away. And as I hurried away, I felt as though I was being followed. Like there were a pair of eyes staring into the back of my head. I walked faster, not daring to look behind me. The sensation remained. I started running. Now I felt like I was being chased.

I ran and I ran, not coming to a stop until I reached the grounds of a nearby temple. There, right in front of me, was a huge paper statue of Da Shi Ye/大士爷, the King of Ghosts (he is the commanding officer of all the soldiers of Hell, a former demon king who was subdued by Guan Yin, and he keeps an eye on the wandering spirits during the Seventh Month, destroying any who try to escape or harm humans).



The moment I came face to face with the statue, the sensation of being followed/chased stopped. Only then did I dare to look behind me (there was nothing there). I stayed near the statue for quite a while. I felt so safe, so calm, standing there in the shadow of the King of Ghosts. When I was satisfied that everything was okay, I went straight home.

Could I have been imagining things? Anything's possible, I guess. But I remain firmly convinced that Da Shi Ye saved my life that night. Those kids probably desired a playmate, and may have been willing to kill me to make me one of them.

Ever since then, I've been a believer, praying to Da Shi Ye out of gratitude for being saved. I did this in public to begin with, then pondered the idea of worshipping him at home. I did not know how to set up an altar for home worship at first, though.

So I asked around, and through a family friend, I got to know the man who became my spiritual teacher.



He was a veteran medium, the real deal - very knowledgeable but nevertheless humble and always willing to help. Not only was he a good mentor in all matters concerning Chinese folk religion, he was practically like a dear uncle to me.

Through him, I consolidated my relationship with not only Da Shi Ye, but the other Hell beings, as well. I've seen all kinds of things go down at his temple, that have more than convinced me that there is more to this world than just the physical.

But those are other tales for other days.

I don't have the second sight, no.

They make their presence felt to me via mediums (such as my teacher), dreams, and certain other events/signs.

Be as virtuous as you can.

You don't necessarily have to be religious to be a good person.

No, it's completely relevant. Guan Yin is a major goddess in both Buddhism and Chinese folk religion.

If you show me pictures of these statues, I might be able to identify them for you and provide additional relevant information.

My teacher became a medium at the age of sixteen. People are usually chosen to become mediums as a form of penance for previous negative karma.

He didn't have the second sight, although he was sensitive to the supernatural.

You'd be surprised, how many Chinese deities fall under the sintua/folk religion category. Many people who identify as Buddhists or Taoists are actually sintua practitioners; they just don't know it.

If you related some of the deities that your family believes in, I might be able to tell you if you are actually one of my brothers/sisters in faith.

This is a good question.

Heavenly gods and Hell deities are normally placed separately. Take a look at the photo here, for instance; the Heavenly gods occupy the upper portion of the altar, while the Hell deities are placed in an alcove beneath. It is actually quite common for Hell deities to be placed near to or even on the floor; the Chinese phrase for Hell (地狱) literally means 'subterranean prison' or 'prison of the earth', after all.

It would seem that you indeed, are, one of my siblings in faith.

Datuk (Na Tok Gong) worship is a Chinese folk religious practice. They are Malay earth gods and nature spirits, the spiritual landowners of Malay soil. If a plot of Datuk-owned land is to be used or developed, the relevant Datuk(s) must be appeased beforehand.





Lord Guan is the sintua God of War, he who protects humanity from war and its horrors, and who is the patron of fighting men such as soldiers and police. He was a philanthropist in addition to being a warrior, and is thus revered as a god of wealth - a military wealth god, who does not usher in wealth but helps you safeguard your wealth from being swindled or stolen. This quality, coupled with his ability as a strategist, makes him revered by 'fighters' of another kind - traders, businessmen, those who 'do battle' in the world of hostile business takeovers and high stakes deals.





Lady Guan Yin is recognised by both Buddhism and Chinese folk religion. Within the sintua context, she is the Goddess of Mercy; a former princess who went against her cruel father's wishes and became a Buddhist nun who subsequently worked many miracles, including saving her father from a dreadful illness, despite him attempting to kill her for defying him.





The 'Buddha' of whom you speak is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, also known as Di Zang (地藏; Haven - literally 'womb' - of the Earth) or Ojizosama. Recognised by both Buddhism and Chinese folk religion, he is a Hell-associated Bodhisattva whom we sintua practitioners regard as one of the highest ranking beings in the Hellish pantheon. An ancient king of India turned Buddhist high priest, he a saviour and protector of suffering souls, especially deceased children (including aborted babies), and has the power to pardon those who are undergoing punishments in Hell. He has vowed not to accept the status of Buddha until Hell is empty.



Ksitigarbha is often present on Hell altars in a position presiding over the other, lesser Hell beings (see image below). But no, he does not drink, haha. Offerings to his subordinates that are incompatible with a Buddhist's vows are positioned at a distance from his image.

And that's perfectly okay. There's no pressure on you to conform to any faith, my friend. You're free to leave and return as you so please, as per what you're comfortable with. I'm more than happy for you to discuss the topic from a curious onlooker's perspective.

I'm glad you like the pics I've posted, including those of the statues on my altar. Considerable man-hours and funds went into assembling my personal lineup; feel free to request more photos of it, and ask any relevant questions.

There's no confusion there, really.

Avalokitesvara is a genderless Bodhisattva, who has many manifestations, male and female alike. It is the female manifestation of Avalokitesvara whom Chinese folk religion reveres as Lady Guan Yin.

Hello Lee, the thanks are mine to offer - I'm grateful that you've come to participate. Feel free to talk about Chinese gods and Chinese folk religion as much as you wish; any questions are welcome.

It is a misconception that all these gods are 'Taoist deities', actually.

For instance, Taoism does not subscribe to the existence of Na Zha and Guan Yin, among many others.

This post has been edited by nachtsider: Jan 1 2015, 10:27 AM

It is the syncretic form of Chinese religion, which combines some Taoist elements, some Buddhist elements and some Confucian elements, that I refer to as Chinese folk religion or the sintua belief.

However, Chinese folk religion often puts its own interpretation on Buddhist beliefs, Taoist beliefs and Confucian beliefs - see, for instance, our take on Guan Yin.

Also Chinese folk religion has some of its own unique elements, as well.

Trance mediumship - the concept that deities can possess the bodies of human mediums in order to communicate with mortal devotees - is one example. Taoism and Buddhism do not subscribe to this belief, which is very ancient, much older than either of these religions.

Chinese folk religion also accepts a number of non-Chinese belief systems, such as Datuk worship, and includes deities that Buddhism and Taoism either do not recognise at all, or pay the merest of lip service (e.g. the Monkey King and Na Zha).

Hi Energy, the Eight Immortals are a group of eccentric, fun-loving deities with a reputation throughout folklore as gods-about-town who embark on many strange and fantastic adventures. They are not commonly worshiped; it is more usual for them to be regarded as icons and depicted in statues, paintings, etc. as symbols of what they stand for.

They are, anti-clockwise from top right in the picture below (start with the white-beared gentleman and end with the individual holding the fruit basket) - Zhang Guo Lao/張果老, Gao Guo Jiu/曹国舅, Lu Dong Bin/呂洞賓, He Xian Gu/何仙姑, Zhong Li Quan/钟离权, Li Tie Guai/李铁拐, Han Xiang Zi/韩湘子 and Lan Cai He/藍采和.



Zhang is more or less Dionysus - an immortal winemaker, whose brews confer longevity if drunk.

Gao was formerly a royal regent, wields a purifying jade tablet, and is a patron saint of actors, being fond of the performing arts and the theatre.

Lu is an exorcist (and ladies' man) who battles and dispels demons with the aid of his magic sword.

He Xian Gu is a protector of young women, particularly virgin girls (she was a vestal virgin herself). Nuturing and motherly, she was responsible for sheltering and raising the outcast royal baby who would later become the fearsome stellar deity, Marshal Yin (also known as Tai Sui - thereby hangs another story entirely).

Zhong is a former military commander turned alchemist, whose magic fan is said to transform base matter (such as stones) into gold if waved over it.

Li is pretty much Dr. House. A cripple who uses an iron crutch, he is a master healer who has a kind heart beneath his grumpy exterior and carries medicines of all kinds inside his magic gourd.

Han is a philosopher, a patron of musicians (especially flutists, being a skilled flutist himself) and a disciple of Lu Dong Bin.

Lan Cai He (whose gender is ambiguous, but is often depicted as female) is a trickster figure, a mischievous wandering musician renowned for her (his?) clairvoyant activity; s/he was known to sneak his (her?) predictions into the songs s/he sang. S/he is the patron saint of minstrels.

This post has been edited by nachtsider: Jan 3 2015, 08:40 AM

Hi Blofeld, the first picture I posted was taken at my teacher's temple.

My home altar is the one with the winged skull talisman on the back wall.

All the other photos were taken at various temples and shrines around Malaysia and Singapore - sometimes by me, sometimes by my friends and contacts.