The venerable 110+ year Kwong Fook Temple in Bentong and "Ah Poh" the temple helper

Main entrance

Side entrance

Main table

Devotee praying to the
deities

Joss stick, joss paper,
candle sales counter

"Ah Poh" getting ready

"Ah Poh" advicing
devotee

CNY in Bentong 16/2/2010

The Bentong Kwong Fook, or "Si Yeh Kong" temple as the locals call it is more than 110 years old. Located beside the main road it is strategically located at the entrance to the town and overlooking the meandering Bentong river. The locals claim that this temple is even older than the town itself. Due to its location it is not surprising that the town was founded around the temple by early settlers.

During the week-long CNY festive holidays the local residents visit the temple on the first day to offer prayers to the many deities housed there.

This year my family visited the temple to offer "sip tai sui" prayers to Tai Sui. Tai Sui is a star called the Duke of Jupiter in the Chinese galaxy. Every year people born under certain animal signs conflict with Tai Sui resulting in bad luck and hardship and to mitigate, devotees offer prayers to Tai Sui. My daughter is a tiger person and I am a snake person and according to the Chinese Zodiac, these two signs conflict with Tai Sui.

The prayer rites were quite simple though. We bought some joss sticks, joss papers and candles for a nominal fee. Then together with oranges and some dried vegetables that we brought along for the occasion we went round bowing and planting the lighted joss sticks and candles to appease all the deities . The final deity was Tai Sui when we engaged "Ah Poh" the resident temple helper to chant the prayers.

"Ah Poh", as she is referred to by the temple staff is an elderly lady who I guess is in her 70s. Her job is to act as the intermediary between the devotee and Tai Sui in the chanting of the prayer rites. Many people of our generation don't know how to recite the prayers properly unlike the previous generation so "Ah Poh" with her intimate knowledge of the old ways is much sought after by the devotees.

Although stooping due to old age "Ah Poh" is still amazingly sprightly and nimble on her feet, thus easily putting many young people to shame. I don't know how long she has been working in the temple, but for as long as I can remember each time my family returns to Bentong for the CNY she is always on hand to offer her services. She appears to look the same each year that I see her in the temple as if for her time has completely stood still. However, over the past few CNY years her recitations have gotten shorter and shorter probably her advancing age could be wearing her down a bit.

I don't know her real name, age and background nor have I seen her family members, but from the melancholy look in her eyes she appears to be someone who might have suffered some hardship or bitter experience in her younger days. Accepting her fate stoically, perhaps working in the temple as a helper is a way of taking refuge from her past sufferings. Although "Ah Poh" comes across as a lonely woman with an air of resignation and acceptance of her fate yet in her small and deformed frame she carries herself with surprisingly dignity of one who refuses to give up on life despite the hardship and suffering.