Penang celebrates Guan Gong's birthday with prayers and offerings for his role as protector and god of wealth
Over at the 215-year-old Thai Pak Koong (Ng Suk) Temple in King Street, special offerings and prayers will be held to honour the God of War today which is the 24th day of the sixth lunar month.
The worship of Guan Gong is common among the ethnic Chinese community of both Taoism and Buddhism faiths because of what he represented – unwavering loyalty, righteousness, and moral integrity.
Once a real-life general during China's Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu's transformation into a deity reflects a cultural reverence that has endured for nearly two millennia.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu's pact with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei as sworn brothers to revive the Han Dynasty symbolised his loyalty in looking out for his friends in times of hardship.
As a general, he was known for his bravery, moral integrity, and righteousness.
After his death, he was officially bestowed titles of Guan Laoye (Grandpa Guan), Guan Gong (Duke Guan) and Guan Di (Emperor Guan).
Guan Yu was deified in the official Taoist canon by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty (960-1279) and it was during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that he was given the title of 'heavenly emperor'.
Though he was deified in Taoism, he is highly revered by those practicing Chinese folk religion, Confucianism and Buddhism.
To the Buddhists, he is the Sangharama Bodhisattva.
It was his sense of righteousness and loyalty that led to Chinese migrants on foreign lands installing him as a kind of patron saint or protector god.
This is evident when one walks into any of the clan associations, provincial guilds, workers' associations or many Chinese businesses in Penang, where the imposing red-faced statue of Guan Gong holding his sword stands at the main altar of worship.
Guan Gong at the Thai Pak Koong (Ng Suk) Temple in King Street. — Picture by Opalyn Mok
Interestingly, he was also widely worshipped by Chinese triads as he represented brotherhood and loyalty.
In some places, there are statues of Guan Gong sitting and holding a book or a scroll to reflect his intelligence.
Therefore, he was also worshipped as a god of literature, and since he was also worshipped by merchants, he become one of the gods of wealth.
Over at the Sun Wui Wui Koon in Penang, the statue of Guan Gong, without his signature red face, is one of him sitting down holding a book and flanked by his son, Guan Ping, and his personal aide, Zhou Chang.
Meanwhile, the Guan Gong statue at Thai Pak Koong (Ng Suk) Temple is of him in his signature red face with his sword.
Regardless of the pose of his statue, devotees often pray to Guan Gong to seek blessings for their health, safety and success in career and academic achievements.
As devotees pay homage to Guan Gong today, the deity remains a timeless symbol of loyalty, righteousness and protection that will continue to guide the generations to come.
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