Connected By the Dead
Connected by the Dead provides a holistic view of how Hokkien diaspora communities across South East Asia adapt ancestral remembrance practices, adapting them to different cultural contexts in modern times. The research begins with the history of Hokkien migration and its geographical distribution across Southeast Asia. Using Taiwan as the primary example to illustrate a typical Hokkien diasporic rituals within a predominantly Buddhist-Hokkien cultural framework, the research then shifts to more culturally diverse regions - Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, where religions, colonisations and language barriers form greater challenges for cultural preservation. The research also reveals the fundamental philosophies that not only drive ancestral remembrance practices but continue to remain as the fundamental values across contemporary Chinese culture globally. Particularly, the "Jia" philosophy (family/ kinship) and "Filial Piety", which are the main drivers that help diaspora communities to retain their cultural identities, especially in the case of ancestral remembrance.
Understanding Hokkiens
The Hokkien community traces its origins to the Fujian Provinces in China, where it is associated with one of the major dialects spoken by the Han Chinese subgroups. This dialect, commonly known as "Hokkien" (Conceicao, 2016), has been historically known by several other names, including "Hoklo" (Encyclopedia of World Culture Supplement, 2024), "Taiwanese", "Fukkianese" (Chiu, 2017), and "Minnan" (Skoggard, 1995).
Understanding Hokkien Migration
The emergence of Hokkien communities beyond China can be traced to the merchants and sailors who traveled from Fujian to Southeast Asia as early as the 12th and 13th centuries. During this period, Hokkien merchants actively engaged in trade at major emporia across Southeast Asia, including Champa, Annam, and Java (Wong, 2023).
The Trade Diaspora
In 1786, the British establishment of Penang, Malaysia, as a trading post attracted many Hokkien merchants already residing in nearby regions, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. These merchants formed a "trade diaspora"— an interconnected network of commercial communities sharing a common ethnic background, language, and cultural practices, supported by community organisations (Hung, 2019). To this day, Hokkien communities remain present in these regions, having adapted to local cultures and, in some cases, developed distinct variations of the Hokkien dialect. Despite these adaptations, the Hokkien heritage continues, unbound by language, geography, and religion.
Ancestral Tablets
Ancestral tablets, also known as "spirit" or "diety" tablets, are wooden sculptures intended for the spirits of family ancestors to "inhabit", protecting the decedants from "danger and harm". It was referred to as "Gongma" in Hokkien, or the "lotus seat" in the Buddhist context. (Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, 2024).
Ancestral Shrine In My House
Born into a Taiwanese Hokkien Buddhist family, we too, have dedicated place for our ancestral shrine in my grandparents' house. It is the most sacred place of the house, where family member are expected to say their words or prayer to the ancestral tablets upon arriving. The shrine was designed facing directly to our dining table, another important space where family reunions and discussions took place. On these important dates, families would gather and prepare a table full of food as offerings to either the ancestors or the gods. As a result, we have always been comfortable talking to, and about the dead at a very young age.
Peranakan Ancestral Shrine In Malaysia
Peranakans are native-born people from Indonesia, Malaysia, or Singapore with both "local and foreign ancestry" (Britannica, 2016). "Thia Abu", or Ancestral Hall in Malay, is one of the most important places in the house.the family would unite to conduct elaborate ancestral remembrance rituals during important dates, such as death anniversaries, Qing Ming Jie (ancestral memorial festival), or before Lunar New Year.
Where Buddhist and Christianity Connects
Jose Mateo, a devoted Christian, Tsinoy, and member of the Buddha's Light International Association–Philippines (國際佛光會), emphasized that "Buddhism is not a practice to replace existing beliefs but one that enriches religious experiences" (Sitchon, 2024).
Temple Antos Cristo De Longos
Locating in the Philippines, Manila Santo Cristo De Longos, despite being a Catholic shrine, visitors are encouraged to use incense sticks for prayers, and "Pua- pue" 博杯, divination tablets in Hokkien when seeking guidance from the God. (See, 2021). It is an excellent visual representation of merging different religious practices as a way to preserve heritage.
Incense Sticks and Pua Pue
Each visitor is expected to light up 1, 3, or 9 incense sticks at a time, and if they have questions for God, they are instructed to ask them in a "Yes or No" manner during their prayer before tossing the Pua Pue onto the floor. The God's response is interpreted through the way the Pua Pue lands on the floor, as illustrated in the poster. Visitors can then choose to repeat the process or ask another question if they wish to know more.
Understanding Pua Pue
Pua Pue is a widely recognised tool for communicating with spiritual beings among Hokkien cultures across the world. These blocks are typically used during the ritual of "baishen" 拜神, which essentionally translates to "engagement of the spiritual other" (Goh, 2009). This practice includes communication with ancestors, spirits and of course, the gods.
Connected by the Dead upload.pdf
Full research papers can be found here.