For visitors to Ubin, perhaps one of the ways to explore Chinese folk religion is to visit the German Girl Shrine (Schrein des deutschen Mädchen) located 4km by road east of Pulau Ubin near Ketam Quarry (Googlemaps link).
Local folklore goes that the girl was the daughter of a coffee plantation manager who lived near the present temple site in the early 20th century.
Being a foreign girl, the shrine was built with a barbie sized doll as the centerpiece with accompanying rosary, perfumed florida water, powder foundation, nail polish and lipstick.
“Barbie doll shrine” as called by her fans in Brazil.
Perfumes and face powder offerings for the German goddess
Beside the main object of worship there are other dieties including Tau Pek Kong; Tu Di Gong; Na Tuk Kong. Datuks – or mispronounced as Na Tuks – are considered remnants of pre-Islamic Malay religion and pork or beer are not consumed so as not to offend them. Following her dietification, the deceased German girl is now worshiped as Na Tok Guniang 拿 督 姑 娘. Guniang being a term for maiden.
A small shrine is built at the side to honor Orr Ki, literally black mole, who drowned nearby several years ago. Worshipers believed his death was pre-destined in order to be the German girl helper and guardian.
Another recent addition is offerings of children clothing and shoes next to the shrine which is another form of spirit child worship, also practiced in Thailand (Guman Thong) and Malaysia (Toyol).
The mix of Christian cross, Na Tuks, Malaysian Chinese dieties at this shrine is a fascinating fusion in Chinese folk religion. Offensive it may be to purists, the Chinese never warred over religion and it is common to find households where parents practise folk religion while the rest of the family members are of different faiths including buddhists, catholics or protestants.
Inventing a Goddess In a New Nation By Sor-Ching Low is an fascinating academic article of this “beautiful German girl”.
Update: June 2010
A new adjacent shrine was erected which we have not seen previously. This time for 2 hell guards brothers (黑白无常) whose job is to drag wandering spirits back to hell. Their addition is apt as Pulau Ubin has been a magnet for ghost hunters and ghost busters dressed in the same garb.
Click link below for a panorama view of the shrine.
(Warning – large file download)
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Tags: chinese religious beliefs, Daoism, diety, German girl shrine, hell, Na Tuk Kong, Nadu Guniang, taoist god, Tu Di Gong
