Paying homage to Jade Emperor

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.