Chinese Opera 新赛凤

九皇大帝庆祝典礼， Nine Emperor Gods Festival，

新赛凤，Sin Sai Hong, (hundred years old opera troupe)

后港斗母宫,Hougang Dou Mu Gong, Singapore.

Single RAW File, Post processed with Photoshop CS3.

 

Hougang Dou Mu Gong 后港斗母宫 is probably one of the oldest temple dedicated to Dou Mu 斗母and Jiu Wang Da Di　九王大帝(Nine Emperor Gods). Situated at Upper Serangoon Road, close to the Yio Chu Kang Road, this temple comes "alive" from the first to the ninth day of the 9th Lunar Month each year.

 

Traditionally, this temple would go to Kuala Lumpur to receive the "Xiang Huo" and to Serangoon River to receive the Nine Emperor Gods. For devotees involved in the events of these Nine Days, they have to go on vegetarian diet.

 

Nine Emperor Gods Festival

18th - 26th October, 2009

9th moon 1st to 9th day

(Chinese Lunar Calendar)

 

九皇大帝圣诞千秋

2009年10月18日到26日

农历九月初一到初九

 

Legend of the Nine Emperor Gods

 

The Nine Emperor Gods (called “Jiu Wang Ye 九王爷” in Singapore and Malaysia) actually refer to the “Jiu Huang Da Di 九皇大帝” (The Nine Great Emperors) in the Taoist deities system (Taoist Patheon).

 

The birth of the Nine Emperors happened to be on the 9th of September in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, and this day was often celebrated as the festival of “Jiu Huang 九皇” by the Taoist in Singapore and Malaysia.

 

The Nine Emperor Gods are very often known as “Bei Dou Jiu Xing 北斗九星” (9 North Star Plough Gods), since they are Gods of the stars or planets. Their mother, “Dou Mu Yuan Jun 斗母元君” (Mother North Star), is also the Mother of Stars.

 

The Nine Emperor Gods consist of the following:

 

1. “Gou Chen Tian Huang Da Di 勾陈天皇大帝” (Vega Star)

 

2. “Bei Ji Zhi Wei Da Di 北极紫微大帝” (Polaris Star)

 

3. The 7 Northern Constellation Stars (called “Bei Dou Qi Xing 北斗七星”):

a. “Tan Lang 贪狼”

b. “Ju Meng 巨门”

c. “Lu Chun 禄存”

d. “Wen Qu 文曲”

e. “Lian Zhen 廉贞”

f. “Wu Qu 武曲”

g. “Po Jun 破军”

 

The origin of the Nine Emperor Gods can be traced back to the Taoist worship of the Northern constellation during Qin and Han Dynasty (北斗崇祀). Actually, the observation and worshipping of stars had already been present among the public before Taoism was founded during Han Dynasty.

 

As Taoism was developed during Han Dynasty, it began to absorb this practice of worshipping the stars and began to deitify them as Gods.

 

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day! Will try to catch up asap!

 

HDR set I Digital Blending set I Panorama set I 九皇大帝庆祝典礼 Nine Emperor Gods Festival I 百年戏班 ~ 《新赛凤》 Sin Sai Hong, (hundred years old opera troupe)

Done