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Faith in family
Posted On 24 Mar 2016
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Photo and text by Kenji Kwok
The 97-year-old Chong Tuck Tong temple was initially a residential home and was subsequently converted to a Taoist temple. Alan Chong (pictured) now prepares for the possibility of taking over the temple from his mother. PHOTO: KENJI KWOK
He grew up hating having to live in a century-old temple where, as a young boy, he had to help his mother with prayer rituals instead of playing with his friends.
Now, Alan Chong, 28, is preparing for the possibility of becoming the first male to take charge of his family’s Chong Tuck Tong temple in Geylang.
Chong, a Master of Arts student from the School of Art, Design and Media, was only six years old when his family moved out of their four-room flat in Tampines.
A fire had broken out at the temple, which was inherited by his mother, so his parents had to move in to oversee rebuilding efforts.
The family lived on the temple’s sparsely furnished second storey, where Chong and his sister slept on mattresses on the floor, next to their parents’ bed.
Chong recalled detesting the move, especially the restriction of having only vegetarian meals at home. He recalled downing many meals of plain rice with soya sauce.
Chong often resented having to help out at the temple when he was younger, but now he joins in prayer sessions whenever a devotee is absent. PHOTO: KENJI KWOK
He often resented helping out at the temple and would quickly rush back upstairs to the comfort of his own room to resume his game — Command & Conquer: Red Alert — after dutifully performing his tasks.
But that all changed when Chong, then a fourth-year student from ADM, started working on his final year project that focused on Feng Shui. His project took a fresh new look at geomancy for homes using modern illustrations to debunk the common misconception of it being religious.
The project gave Chong the chance to learn more about Chinese culture. That was also when he realised that his research into the different practices in Feng Shui could enable him to contribute back to the temple.
“It was only when I started learning about Feng Shui that I realised it could be another way of helping devotees who come to the temple,” said Chong. “I could decipher what was happening in their lives based on the five basic elements.”
Chong was surprised to find similarities in the elements used in Feng Shui and those used by his mother to predict the devotees’ future.
He said that it was “fate” that led him to take up more responsibilities in the temple.
Under the guidance of senior devotees, Chong plays the cymbal during a prayer session.
He also shares about the different aspects of the temple during tours led by heritage group Geylang Adventures, which conducts tours to historical and religious sites in the often shunned red-light district.
Geylang Adventures founder Cai Yinzhou, 26, said people like Chong help bridge the gap between old traditions and the younger generation.
“Every temple needs an Alan,” said Cai, adding that Chong’s initiative helps change the percep- tion of religious institutions being closed to non-devotees.
Chong also constantly finds ways to modernise workflows at the temple, from streamlining the printing of labels for lanterns to redesigning religious inventory.
Using his experience as a graphic designer, he started tracing and improving the calligraphy and design on religious tablets.
Using his experience as a graphic designer, Chong redesigns religious items in the temple — from tracing to reinterpretating parts that lack details.
The temple was founded on a matriarchal system, which explains why Chong’s mother takes charge. Chong’s older sister seemed apprehensive to follow their mother’s lead.
The prospect of taking over the temple, however, scares him.
“The more I helped out, the more I saw the magnitude of what needed to be done every day,” said Chong. Still, he tries to learn as much as he can about the various duties and practices in the temple.
He recently learned to play instruments during prayer sessions and has even performed some of the simpler rituals under the guidance of his mother.
Chong shares about the history of the century-old temple during a heritage tour by Geylang Adventures.
Looking ahead, he plans to pursue a PhD in heritage studies and submit a report on preserving religious sites in Geylang to the National Heritage Board.
Chong, who did not perform well academically growing up, added that attaining stellar qualifications is not just about pleasing his parents.
“I hope being a scholar puts me in a better position to tackle the conservation issues we face as temple owners.”