Hokkiens pay homage to deity for saving ancestors

A file photo of Chew Jetty residents holding a mass prayer at the clan temple during the Jade Emperor God’s birthday celebrations in 1985.

CELEBRATING the Thnee Kong Seh, or Jade Emperor God’s birthday, is not complete without sugar canes, a fact all too familiar for Penang’s Hokkien community.

The tall tropical southeast Asian grass with stout fibrous jointed stalks is a must-have during the celebrations.