Singapore Chee Chung Huay (新加坡慈忠會)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Report by Mr Victor Yue of Taoism Singapore eGroup

Singapore Chee Chung Huay
364-D Macpherson Rd
Singapore 368112
Tel: 67450338

Sun 5 Aug 07
1615H-1745H

Hi folks,
This afternoon, prompted by a query by Matt about Huang Lao Xian Shi, with Matt, Jave and Aaron, we went to visit this Huang Lao Xian Shi Temple at MacPherson Rd. I think the last time, Brian, who went to Melaka via Singapore from Korea, was also telling us about Huang Lao Xian Shi. And if you were to google Wang Lao Xian Shi, you might find a very vibrant organisation in USA!

We were lucky in that when we arrived, we met a very friendly member of the Temple, Mr. Wang, who shared with us about the temple. If you could read Chinese, you would also have noticed that this temple was also featured in the second edition of the Miao Yu Wen Hua - book on Chinese Temples published by Shin Min Daily. Since the publication of the two books, more people are also aware of the public interests in temples, and so, visits to temples other than praying were also easy. Of course, with an Ang Mo, we were also quite high profile. (^^)

It seems that HUang Lao Xian Shi temple has its origin in Melaka in the 1950s ... through the visualisation of someone there. Since then, there are many Huang Lao Xian Shi temples in Malaysia as well as in Singapore. This temple started off sometime in 1963/4 in Geylang Lor 16 and after three years, moved to the current location. The temple celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2000 (and 37th Anniversary of its Association, which I assumed is the main body registered with the Registrar of Societies in Singapore).

It is also active in offering free TCM to anyone in the public. The clinic is open from Mondays to Saturdays.

At the temple, there were three statues, with Da Sheng Fo Zu (Monkey Sage) taking the centre position with Tai Shang Lao Jun (Lao Zi) on his left andHuang Lao Xian Shi on his left. Every week, the temple also has bang-gong when Huang Lao Xian Shi will come to provide consultations.

This temple has its own bilingual booklet entitled The Teachings of the Chee Choong Temple (The temple of Compassion and Loyalty), where it is clearly explained on what are its guiding principles: Compassion, Loyalty, Trustworthiness, Righteousness, Propriety, Ethics, Chastity, Filial Peity, Honesty, Virtue and Group. It also has its own rituals and chants inside the booklet, making it a very good reference for the members of the temple.

The temple has a ritual where members make petitions to the Jade Emperor for blessings, protection and forgiveness at the beginning of each season (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter). The next event will be on the evening of the first day of the 7th Lunar Month.

One interesting characteristic that one might detect in the temple is that in the pair of candles lit, one is white and other other is red. When asked, it was explained that it represents Heaven and Earth.

From what I learnt about Hang Lao Xian Shi, he is the master of Zhang Liang, who is the ancestor of Zhang Dao Ling. And it is said that Zhang Dao Ling put together a book based on Huang Lao Xian Shi's thoughts and that of Lao Zi. I will leave this to Jave to help give more information. (^^)

If there are treasures to be found, one could find many and different ones in the temples. In this temple, there is a very nice portrait of MM when was younger!

I understand that the temple celebrates its anniversary on 1M19. Will need Jave's help to go through the souvenir magazine of 2000, that Mr. Wang had so kindly given us, to gather more interesting information about this temple. I also understand that there are other temples in Hougang and Clementi and perhaps yet others. So, we could start a trail on the temples in Singapore and ask Ronni to cover Penang and northern part of Peninsula Malaysia and Chay Tiong to cover KL and the south. (^^)

Victor
Singapore