History of Tian Gong Biscuit (天公餅之由來)

Tian Gong Bing aka Tian Gong Biscuit (天公餅), a type of Typical Traditional Hokkien Offering Item for Honouring Jade Emperor of Heaven (玉皇大天尊) on the Manifestation Anniversary.

In Singapore, now we can only able to get the Officially-made Tian Gong Bing in 1 of the Traditional Biscuit Shops in China-Square Building. Due to this is a very Traditional and Old Practice, not much People really know of the procedure of making it and so, the Skill of making such Tian Gong Bing has actually being mis-imparted.

In other Countries such as China & Taiwan, you will tend to see a much more bigger size Tian Gong Bing, but in Singapore, due to Easy-to-Handle, we can only get smaller size Tian Gong Bing during the Lunar New Year Period.

So how to use it during the Honouring?

For Hokkien Customs, on the Leap-Month Year (閏月年), the Hokkien will Offered 13 pieces of Tian Gong Bing on the Manifestation Anniversary, in-order to get the Blessings for the next 13 Months, whereas for a Normal 12 Months Year. 12 pieces will be Offered.

After Offering, the Biscuits can be consumed by the whole Family, if not, the Biscuits can be placed on the Altar for a Year (strange is that, such Biscuits wont turned Bad for a very Long Period).

Okay, back to topic.

So how Tian Gong Bing come about?

According to Hokkien Ancient Records, there are a few versions of the come-about, in here, I will shared with All of you the 2 most Reasonable Myths of Tian Gong Bing.

First: Offering to Celestial Palace (香餅上敬玉皇尊)

On the 24th Day of Lunar 12 Month, after Kitchen Deity (司命灶君) returned back to Heaven to do his Annual Reporting, Jade Emperor of Heaven will tend to throw a Feast to reward the various Deities for the Completion of the Tasks of Looking after the Mortals & Beings in Mortal Realm for the past 12 Months.

During 1 of the Heavenly Feasts, Kitchen Deity took out some of his Offerings that he received from the Mortals and placed them on the Feast Table infront of Jade Emperor of Heaven, in-order to show Jade Emperor of Heaven of how Sincere & Faithful that the Mortals had for the Heavenly Deities.

After taking a look at the little Biscuits that the Mortals made, Jade Emperor of Heaven was quite impressed with the Detailed-patterns decorated on the Biscuits. Immediately, Jade Emperor of Heaven passed an Edict to Kitchen Deity to reward those who had Offered these Biscuits to Kitchen Deity and said, from then onwards, whoever is able to make such nicely-decorated Biscuits, the person and the whole family will be Blessed with Good Luck & Fortune.

Without hesitation, Kitchen Deity received the Edict and returned to Heaven on the Eve of Lunar New Year to Spread the Blessings to the Mortals.

One Year, in a Rural Village in Hokkien Province, on the 8th Night of Lunar 1 Month, a poor family was not able to offer any Offerings to Jade Emperor of Heaven and so, the wife at home was very sad and disappointed. By sitting infront of the Altar of Kitchen Deity in the Kitchen, the wife started to sob sadly and badly.

Upon hearing the sobbing, Kitchen Deity appeared infront of the wife to comfort her. The wife was shocked at first but after Kitchen Deity explained to her that who he was, the wife kneeled infront of Kitchen Deity to tell him about her situation.

After knowing the situation, Kitchen Deity recalled on the Offerings of the Nicely-made Biscuit and so immediately, Kitchen Deity asked the wife to prepare some left-over flour and peanut-dust (cos of too poor, only left with peanut dust and not Full peanut).

Soon the wife gathered all the necessary items and without further delay, Kitchen Deity assist the wife in making the Biscuits. Within moments, the Biscuits were being made. Due to the flour-made-&-bake-Biscuits were in white color, Kitchen Deity found out that, it was not very suitable for such an Joyous Occasion and so, Kitchen Deity took out his Cinnabar Recording Brush to do a Red-mark dotting on the Biscuits.

After the Biscuits got the Dotting from Kitchen Deity, the Biscuits turned to more tasty & nicer-fragrance-emitting Biscuits, which attracted the surrounding neighbours.

Upon knowing that people were rushing to the wife's Kitchen, Kitchen Deity made his leave and told the wife of remember to offer this to Jade Emperor of Heaven on the Manifestation Anniversary, once Jade Emperor of Heaven got the Biscuit Offerings, Jade Emperor of Heaven will Blessed the whole Family. After getting the message, the wife kowtowed to Kitchen Deity for his assistance and soon, the kitchen was flooded with people.

In-order not to reveal the identity of Kitchen Deity, the wife told the people that she dreamt of a Deity to advise her to offer this Biscuit Offering to Jade Emperor of Heaven to get Good Blessing. After getting such a piece of Good News, most of the People rushed back to their homes to prepare the Biscuits for the Manifestation Anniversary on the 9th Day of Lunar 1 Month.

From then, this Tradition was being pass-down till today.

Second: Gratitude to Jade Emperor of Heaven (護命答謝敬玉皇)

On the Day, after returning from the Sugar-cane Plantation, the Hokkiens started to prepare for the Thanksgiving Offering for Jade Emperor of Heaven for saving their lives.

Due to just returned from the disaster of almost got Barbarians' Slaugthering, the Hokkiens were too broke to get Luxury Offerings for the honouring of Jade Emperor of Heaven and so, among the Hokkiens, one of the Elders from the Village made a comment.

The Elder suggested of making Offerings from Flour & Sugar-cane (Sugar extracted from Sugar-cane). Immediately, Positive Agreement was heard and without further delay, the Hokkiens started to prepare the Flour-made Offerings.

Just at the moment of the starting of making Offering from the Flour Dough, someone made a comment of what items to make. Immediately, another commotion arise. After a short moment of discussion, the Hokkiens came to an agreement of making Flour-made-Biscuits with Sugar-peanut Fillings.

Soon, the preparation got into place and different Families made into various shapes & patterns Biscuits to differentiate the Biscuits came from different Families.

After completion, the Elder whom suggested the making of the Biscuits was being invited to the front Altar to offer the Biscuits to Jade Emperor of Heaven. Just before he offered the Biscuits, he saw that the Biscuits were too plain and so, the Elder look around and he saw some Red Prunes hanging on the Prune-trees. He walked towards the Trees and plucked a few of the Prunes. Upon getting the Prunes, he returned back to the Altar and squeezed the juice out from the Red Prunes and then, do a little dotting onto the Biscuits.

As he performed the dotting, he annouced to the Hokkiens that, by doing the Red Dotting, everyone in the Village (Province) will be Blessed with Red-hot Fortune & Luck.

After getting the annoucement, All the Hokkiens shouted with Joyous and kneeled onto the Ground to return their Gratitude to Jade Emperor of Heaven.

As a form of Highest Respect to Jade Emperor of Heaven, the Hokkiens addressed this type of Biscuits as Tian Gong Bing.

From then, it was being pass-down till now.

PS: Thanks to Juin Wen for providing us with the Pictures of Tian Gong Bing