Wesak Day Celebration in Taiping

Wesak Day is celebrated by Buddhist throughout the world to commemorate the Birthday of Lord Buddha. It is an auspicious day in the Buddhist calendar, marking the full life cycle of birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

It is this day that Buddhist devotees will gather in temples to release birds from captivation and to offer prayers. Other practice includes the offering of alms to monks and giving of free meals to the needy, as symbolic acts of giving liberation and doing good deeds.

Celebration of Wesak as explained by the late Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda holds a special significance for the millions of Buddhists who comprise a fifth of the world’s total population. In thousands of temples across the world from Tokyo in the East to San Francisco in the West, Buddhists will pay homage to an Indian Prince who forsakes the pleasures of a royal household to bring peace and happiness to mankind.

It is also most important to remember that this sacred day is purely and simply a religious festival and not a festive occasion for feasting, drinking and dancing. On this day all Buddhists are expected to reaffirm their faith in the Buddha Dhamma and to lead a noble religious life. It is a day for meditation and for radiating Loving-Kindness.

Cheng Meng Festival

The Cheng Meng or Cheng Beng Festival, depending on which Chinese dialect you want to call it, is a practice observed by Chinese communities all over the world, the only difference found in a festival celebrated in two countries would be cultural ones usually due to constraints cause by local conditions and availability of certain physical materials.
The festival falls on the 5th of April every year, except on a leap year where it will be on the 4th of April.

Cemetery Main Hall with ancestral tablets and diety.

During the festival, departed ancestors are honored and venerated, a time honored Asian tradition of respect for the elders and filial piety.

Cemetery ground and memoriam for the Shuntak Association's departed ancestors.

My family will be participating this year for the first time in our ShunTak Association Cheng Meng Festival activities, which will consist of paying our respect to our ancestors and fellow departed clansman in their burial grounds.

Preparation of "offerings" to our ancestors.

Like in most Chinese festival, participation does not necessarily reflect an individual’s religious belief, it can be celebrated just for the sake of communal identity and culture.

Me paying my respects.

We have Christians, Buddhist and Secularist like me in the group along with the majority of members who practices a syncretic religion containing elements of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Although, most Malaysian Chinese practising these syncretic form of religion will officially call themselves Buddhist.

For Christians the intent is to show respect rather than worship and the event is also not considered a "Buddhistic" practise. Obviously, for secularist, it is merely a physical action to show respect.

The Shuntak Association of Taiping

A water color painting of the association's main premise by a young member.

The Shuntak (Shunde) Association of Taiping founded in 1896 was originally formed by my countryman to aid new immigrants from the Shuntak province of China coming into Malaya for the first time to settle in. My paternal and maternal grandparents came from the Shuntak province, a prefecture of Dongguan in China.

Ancestral tablets of past and current association members.

I was recently invited to join the association as a committee member.

The ceremonial drum and gong that was used for lion dance in the past.

Through time, the association's function has evolved as circumstances had changed and the original functions of the association no longer serves its purpose. Current members of the association are 2nd or 3rd generation settlers and regard themselves as Malaysian and are well embedded in the country.

The association has not received any guest from the home province for a very long time and has no plans in place to do that anymore. It currently serves as an institution for periodic social gatherings of fellow clansman and their family.

The association's altar for the gods to offer devine intervention when needed.

It is a non profit organisation and is financially self sufficient with funds generated from rental of association premises and membership subscription and is managed by a group of voluntary committe members like myself.

A momento from Dr.Sun Yat San in appreciation of the association's contribution towards his war efforts in China.


Imperial citations from the Emperor for scholastic ability and appointments to high governmental position awarded to two clansman during the Ching Dynasty.