At his home in Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor, Hokkien Cris Tee, 34, sets alight sugarcane to symbolise the burning away of past misfortunes and to welcome blessings. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
IN THE Hokkien community, the Jade Emperor’s birthday, also known as Pai Thnee Kong, is a significant cultural and spiritual event.
Held on the ninth day of the Chinese New Year, this festival traces back to a legend of survival in which the ancestors of today’s Hokkiens were saved from peril by the celestial Jade Emperor.
