Eighth Moon, Day 16
(September/October)
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for western date >>
This mischievous and playful god first appeared
in Pilgrim to the West, a novel dating from the Ming dynasty
(1386 – 1644) and has been brought into Western and Eastern popular
culture with a TV series and movies detailing his adventures. An outcast
from Taoist heaven, the Monkey God was redeemed and gained Buddhist immortality
by escorting Tang Xuan Zang on his pilgrimage to the West to obtain the
teachings of Lord Buddha.
In bygone days, during the Monkey God Festival,
a possessed medium would receive tributes from followers and run barefoot
over hot coals and then climb a ladder of knives and remain unhurt!
This practice has however ceased and today people celebrate the Monkey God’s birthday by burning incense and paper offerings as tribute to the deity. The Monkey God Temple is located in Sau Mau Ping in Kowloon. |
