Tian Gong Tan: Butterworth Temple for Prosperity and Love
Located among the residential apartments, Butterworth’s modest Tian Gong Tan is a spot for divine blessings on wealth and romantic relationships.
Tian Gong Tan was built in the 19th century and was renovated and expanded in the 2000s to its current look. Although the appearance is less impressive than its counterpart on the island, this temple also hosts the Tian Gong (or the Jade Emperor) and several other deities.
Ruien found a parking spot in the car-packed neighbourhood with blocks of apartments, a digital library, and a community pool flocked together. We headed to the temple, where we found the gate half-opened. An old man with a rattail approached us as we were pondering whether to go in.
“It’s open,” the man said. “Also, you might look at the dragon-turtle statue.”
He pointed to a statue of a Chinese mythical creature crouching beside a tall stone monument. The dragon’s wide jaw flashed its sharp fangs, but the short turtle’s body made the creature less ferocious. For such an odd creature, the dragon-turtle has gained the reputation as the symbol of courage and success.
“I made it,” the old man grinned with a hint of pride in his tone. Is this what the Chinese call the master among the folk?
“Impressive,” the golden finish on the shell seemed to gleam brighter underneath the sun. The old man had gone with his bike, leaving us to step into the sacred domain.
The Experience
The stairs took us to the second storey where the mighty Jade Emperor lived. He lived with his fellow temple mates, like prosperous Tu Di Gong (Earth God) and wise Confucius. Our purpose of visit was neither to earn a fortune nor to pass an exam with flying colours. We were there for what most young maidens of our age were seeking for.
Before entering the temple, we took off our shoes as a sign of respect. We found two women chatting, one who was in her mid-thirties or forties and one older auntie. I asked them how much the incense and candle cost. The older Auntie pointed to a yellow donation box, for us to slip in our token of kindness. She also kept reminding us to keep our belongings close to us. Cases of theft and forgotten items are quite common when the visitors are too occupied with their prayers.
“What is your purpose for visiting this temple?” the Auntie asked.
“Well,” Ruien said. “We saw one Facebook post about this temple, where you can pray to Yue Lao.”
“Ah,” she grinned, her blue eyes gleamed. “You are here to seek love.”
Since ancient times, people have sought for Yue Lao, or the Old Man under the Moon. His red strings have bound couples who have asked for his blessing.
“There was this young man who came to our temple,” she recalled. “Three years later, he got married and returned to votive offerings.”
It was just a matter of time to meet your fated love.
“The both of you were still young,” she remarked. “The important thing about getting a husband is not about his looks and wealth. It’s about his ambitions and self-motivations.”
The Auntie also taught us the praying sequence. Starting from the front porch, we offered the candles and incense to Tian Gong. Then, the Tu Di Gong shrine at the end of the side alleyway. Finally, the Yue Lao’s shrine.
We prayed to the human-like statue. Even for someone who has less faith in divine intervention, I made my voiceless request to the Old Man under the Moon. After our brief prayer, we accepted one strand of red string each from the deity’s palm before securing it in our pockets.
We also found a large Chien Teung (fortune stick holder) in the temple. Randomly picking one stick, we read the engraved number to find out our fortune of the year as a yellow slip. Although I recognised each individual word, it was hard to comprehend the overall meaning of the fortune slip. Besides, we did not want to bother the Auntie again, so we made our departure.
Our next destination was the nearby digital library.
Date of Visitation: 16 Jan 2022
Address: 5042, Lebuh Kampung Banggali, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Opening Hours: 6 am to 10 pm (daily)