Hong San Si, Kuching – the legend of the Host Deity




Shen Ong Kong or Kong Teck Choon Ong (in Hokkien dialect) or Guang Ze Zun Wan (广泽尊王) is the host deity of Hong San Si Kuching & many other similar temples in Sarawak.



Unlike many other host deities, Shen Ong Kong has a childlike face with teenage energetic appearance, after all, he was only 16 years old when he (or his human transformation) died, or departed.

Accordingly, he was born in 923 AD on 22nd day of 2nd Lunar Month in Ann Che District in Southern Fujian Province of China, in a farming family. Like many other legendary heavenly beings born into this physical world, the sky was adorned with colorful holy light, and fragrance permeated the whole room during his birth.

Kuo Chung Fook was his name. As a child, he was intelligent & very filial to his parents. He had a very special squared facial feature with big round eyes. However, his parents passed away earlier in his childhood, and he had to work as a shepherd for a landlord called Yang, away from his hometown for 3 years.


As a shepherd, he was treated quite well by Yang as he was dedicated to his works & was respectful to people.

His wealthy landlord or employer, like many other old time loaded persons, invited a Feng Shui master to seek an ideal location or ‘dragon cavity’ for the family cemetery.

Yang treated the master very well, providing good food & shelter & occasionally valuable gifts. The master, to ensure Yang’s sincerity & truthfulness, did not disclose the location for three years. Though Yang did not push hard on the master for the job, his wife had shown frustrating & annoying gestures, and even wanted her husband to get rid of him. The master was aware of the situation & decided to leave.

During the time in Yang’s place, the master had been constantly in touch with Chung Fook & discovered his intelligence & specialty; the master decided to pass on something to the kid.

There was another saying that Chung Fook revealed to the master that the mutton offered by the host was from a dead sheep, and he was so angry and decided to disclose the ideal Feng Shui spot to the shepherd.

The rest of the story was how Chung Fook had followed the directions the master had instructed.


It is believed that the present host deity statue posture (red face with wide open eyes looking afar & one leg hanging down) was his last posture as a human transformation before Chung Fook turned into god, or departed his human life.

Location: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Comments

Anonymous said…
I hav lived in Kuching for how many years, but I never knew the story behind this Temple.It's how luckily...that I knew the story afterall.
October 4, 2008 at 4:15 PM
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