Elements
Ong Chun/Wangchuan/Wangkang ceremony, rituals and related practices for maintaining the sustainable connection between man and the ocean
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00001962 Country Malaysia,China ICH Domain Social practices, rituals, festive events
| Description | As ritualized practices devoted to disaster-averting and peace-pleading, Ong Chun Ceremony widely spreads along the coastal areas both in Minnan, China and Melaka, Malaysia. It is practiced by the communities with both commonness and localities. In Minnan, it mostly takes place every three or four years when the northeast monsoon arrives in autumn; while in Melaka, it is preferentially held in the dry season of the lunar leap year, both starting on an auspicious day meticulously selected and lasting for days or months. The element is rooted in folk belief and customs of worshiping Ong Yah, the deity reverently acknowledged as Tye Tian Soon Siew Ong Yah, among the coastal communities. Local inhabitants believe that, Ong Yah is appointed as commissioner by the Heaven to protect people and their lands from disasters on regular patrols of inspection. Those who lost their lives at sea, respected as “good brothers,” become wandering souls lonely and homeless. Rituals for welcoming and escorting Ong Yah at regular intervals are therefore held for his visit to the land and rescuing “good brothers.” |
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| Social and cultural significance | The continuous practice of the element has constantly evoked the historical memories of ancestors’ ocean-going, freshened participants’ views of life and death. Its performance in collective activities helps to alleviate the psychological shocks to community members from emergency cases like shipwrecks and contributes to rebuilding community connections and providing spiritual comfort. Members of communities involved believe that Heaven blesses those who “do good deeds,” and the folk belief urges them to favor good values, support good turns and have good behavior, thus strengthening the social function of mitigating disaster memories. The community cultural identity and social cohesion are improved through the collective ritual activities in specific cultural spaces. The element manifests the concepts of harmony between man and the nature, respect for life, and harmony pursuit, and enhances the sustainable connection between man and the ocean. It further provides rich resources for intercultural dialogue regarding the present-day construction of a diverse society, in particular a united, friendly, stable, eco-friendly and inclusive society in communities with migrants and immigrants. |
| Transmission method | Knowledge and skills of the element have been transmitted for generations through periodic rituals and related practices by communities concerned in the following ways: The experiences on organizing events and traditional knowledge of rituals are handed down through the change of the council members of the temples and clan halls. Chu Hui, Dao Keh, Luo Chu masters and Ong Chun directors pass on their experiences to their successors. |
| Community | The element has been transmitted collectively by the communities concerned. The Han people (including the Danmin, or people living in the houseboat) and the She people in Minnan, China as well as those Chinese, Baba Nyonya, and Indians in Melaka, Malaysia, are all active practitioners of the element. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2020 |