The Chinese New Year celebrations continue with thousands of Hokkien people celebrating Thnee Kong Seh (the Birthday of the Jade Emperor).
Pai Thnee Kong translates simply as “worshipping the Jade Emperor.”
The Hokkiens offer thanksgiving prayers on the 9th day of the Chinese New Year.
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Hokkien New Year
Commonly called the Hokkien New Year, Thnee Kong Seh is a big celebration in Penang, with devotees thronging Chew Jetty in Weld Quay and the Thnee Kong Tnua (Jade Emperor Temple) at the foot of Penang Hill.
The Jade Emperor is seen as the most important god in the Taoist pantheon, ruling over all other Taoist deities and having authority over everything.
His main duty is to administer justice, which he performs by using the Hellish court system to punish evil deeds and thoughts.
Feast Day of the Heavenly God (Thnee Kong Seh)
Legend has it that the Hokkien people took refuge in a sugarcane plantation and escaped unharmed, which accounts for the connection between the Hokkien and sugarcane.
The birthday of the Heavenly God (Jade Emperor) falls on the 9th day of the Chinese New Year (the 9th day of the lunar calendar – the 8th day after midnight).
The cultural and religious festival is one of the most important festivals for the Hokkien community in Malaysia.
The Hokkien Massacre
Throughout the Song Dynasty, most of the clans in Southern China (Fujian, Henan, and Zhejiang) were harshly oppressed and continually feared the Mongols (also known as the Mongol dynasty).
The Mongols saw the Hokkien as a danger to the empire and frequently attacked and pursued the Hokkien clan, leaving them defenseless.
The Hokkien eventually made their way to the Henan Province, where sugarcane is a major crop in numerous plantations.
The Mongol invaders murdered many Hokkien, but some escaped death by hiding in the sugarcane plantations.
After days of searching, the pursuing Mongols failed to find any more Hokkien. Eventually, the Mongols gave up and went back to their stronghold.
The Hokkien joyfully emerged from their hiding place on the 9th day of the Chinese calendar, thanking the celestial gods, Thnee Kong (Jade Emperor), for protecting them.
That day is often called the Hokkien New Year because of its significance to the Hokkien people.
Importance of Sugarcane Plants
Since then, the sugarcane plant has taken center stage in all Hokkien festivities.
9th day is regarded as the day of redemption by the Hokkien community.
A pair of sugarcane plants are often put as a gift to the Heavenly god, one on each side of the offering table.
The pair is a representation of strength, unity, and coherence.
Sugarcane is a symbol of harmony since it produces only good outcomes.
Offering For The Pai Thnee Kong Festival
The Pai Thnee Kong celebration is of religious and cultural significance to the Chinese Hokkien communities and is widely celebrated in Penang.
On the 8th day of the Chinese New Year, food and prayer items are set up on a makeshift altar at the front entrance of Hokkien homes.
The women are busy preparing one or two days before the night prayers.
In Penang, this festival is celebrated on a grand scale at the Chew Clan Jetties.
Technically, the worshippers may start the rites at 11:00 pm, though many nowadays wait until midnight sharp.
The ‘must-have offering for the Hokkien is the ‘Kam Chia’ or sugarcane.
Here are the 12 must-have offerings for Thnee Kong birthday prayers
- Tea, alcohol, and water (3 cups each)
- Vegetarian Food (6 types)
- Bit Chien (skewered sweets)
- Fresh fruit (3 – 5 types)
- Vegetarian biscuits
- Fresh flowers
- Ngor Siew Th’ng (bright pink Sugarpaste Pink Pagodas)
- Bee Koe (sweet glutinous rice), Huat Kueh (pink steamed rice cakes), Ang Koo (red glutinous rice cakes), and Red steamed tortoise buns (Mi Koo)
- Sugarcane Stalks ( 1 pair)
- Mee Suah and Red Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Joss paper ingots (Thnee Kong Kim)
- Three types of meat (Roasted Pork, Chicken, or Duck)
Thnee Kong Tok
The Thnee Kong Tok (Pai Thnee Kong altar) hosts abundant auspicious and symbolic prayer offerings prepared with devotion.
The raised altar (draped in a red tablecloth) stands on benches and faces the main door or gate, looking out.
Prayers at the Thnee Kong Tok. Photo: State Chinese Penang Association
Meats
A grand offering has a whole roasted pig and boiled chicken with its head, wings, and feet intact to symbolize completeness and wholeness for the family.
Roast duck, fish, and crabs for blessings and good fortune.
Photo: Edward Law
Photo: Peng Hong Yeoh
Chinese Sweetcakes
Chinese Sweetcakes for Pai Thnee Kong Essentials are
- Ngor Siew Th’ng (Sugarpaste Pink Pagoda)
- Bit Chien (skewered sweets)
- Bee Koe (sweet glutinous rice)
- Huat Kueh (pink steamed rice cakes)
- Ang Ku Kueh (red glutinous rice cakes)
- Mi Koo (Red steamed tortoise-shaped buns)
- Thnee Kuih (Sweet Glutinous Rice Cake)
- Longevity Peach Steamed Buns
Photo: Peng Hong Yeoh
Sugarcane
Sugarcanes are an integral part of the thanksgiving prayers, and this is because the Hokkiens hid out in sugarcane plantations, which managed to prevent them from harm.
The thanksgiving prayers are only complete with the sugarcane.
In Penang, this is the one time of year when sugarcane is sold all around town.
You can see the long sugarcane stems with the leaves poking out of cars as people bring these home.
Sugarcane’ Kam Chia’ in Hokkien is a homophone sounding ‘Kam Sia.’ (thank you in Hokkien)
The sugarcanes are placed at the altar’s sides, a reminder of the Hokkien people’s salvation from death.
Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit has special meanings, encircled with red paper decorations.
- Gourd (plenty and protection)
- Banana (welcoming plentiful offspring)
- Pomelo (Shou, the Stellar deity embodying longevity, is always shown with this fruit in his palm)
- Pineapple (glory and greatness)
- Mandarin Oranges (gold, wealth)
- Pears
- Plums
- Apples
- Pomegranates
- Clamansi Lime
Dried Offerings
- Dried Fruits
- Biscuits
- Ginkgo
- Mushrooms
- Glass Noodles
- Vermicelli
- Bean curd
- Lotus buds
- Fungus
- Longans
- Dried Dates
Candied fruits hold blessings and bring sweetness.
Photo: Peng Hong Yeoh
Paper Offerings
‘Thnee Kong Kim’ gold joss paper exclusively for the Emperor of Heaven.
Golden pineapple ‘Kim Ong Lai.’
The Hokkiens made piles of ‘Thnee Kong Kim’ gold joss paper exclusively for the Jade Emperor.
These yellow and gold papers are hung from the sugarcanes before being burnt as a thanksgiving offering in hopes of good heaven-earth currency multiplication and exchange.
Photo: Peng Hong Yeoh
Penang Pai Thnee Kong Festival
In Penang, the public is encouraged to join the celebrations at Chew Jetty by bringing their offerings for prayers.
The celebration starts with a 60m-long altar laid out, and thousands of people would fill it with food offerings.
For 2023, the altar with Pai Thnee Kong essential will be brought into Chew Jetty in front of the Chau Yuan Gong Temple.
The Kim Cua (pieces of gold prayer paper hung from the sugarcanes before being burnt as a thanksgiving offering to Thnee Kong.
After these gold papers were set ablaze, the family members would remove the stalks of sugarcane from the altars and throw these into the flames to put them ablaze.
At midnight, there will be fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the start of the ninth day and the Hokkien people’s continued existence.
As you join, the Hokkien people celebrate Thnee Kong Seh on the 9th day of the Chinese New Year.
May everyone be blessed with harmony, good health, and steady business growth.
Source: Jade Emperor’s birthday celebration at Chew Jetty resumes after two years (The Star)
Photographer: Mr. Peng Hong Yeoh
