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The following photos were taken on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. It is an important day for Taoists in Singapore as this day is for receiving the Emperor of Heaven for the New Year. The festival for this Taoist shrine is officiated by Taoist mediums or 'Tangki' in the Hokkien dialect. 'Tangki' conducts seance that allows Taoist deities to enter their body so as to divine the future, bless devotees and also conduct exorcism. In this particular occasion, 3 'Tangki' who served as bodily embodiment of the Monkey Deity, Celestial General and Celestial Boy officiated the ceremony. The most unforgettable scene was the unsuccessful seance attempted by a novice 'Tangki' that lasted for almost an hour, which left the young 'Tangki' collapsed in exhaustion. The 'Tangki' for the Monkey Deity even lacerated his tongue to bless talisman with his own blood! He was obviously oblivious to pain and the deep wound miraculously closed after the ceremony! The shooting of this festival left me completed exhausted at the end and I personally have yet to expose so many rolls of film in such a short period of time. The constant rythmic banging of gongs and drums had an almost hypnotic effect on the spectators and it made everyone there totally immersed in the spectacle that unfolded before them . I would like to thank 'Nan Tian Gong' Taoist shrine for allowing me to document the ancient rituals at the festival. Even for a local, this is the first time I witness their religious devotion at such close proximity.
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