Imperial Feast of a deity – Yong Chuan Tian Temple

The sounds and the words only point because Taoism is beyond words (Watch). To learn and unlearn can help to attain inner peace and outer harmony. They are not diverted from their devotion and respect to their deities because there is great learning, without struggling.

The sounds very much percussive of a Taoist trumpet, Taoist ringing bowl, Taoist flat drum and the Taoist cymbal denotes a beginning of a ritual level to the next level in accordance with celestial rules.

The words of the daoshi becomes actions during prayers and offerings on OngYah birthday and such words are the imperial protocol brought down till today ever since the Pre-Ming Period. The Taoist priest performed Taoist rituals.

Yang and yin has relativity to heaven and earth, as pure substances ascended to form heaven and impure substances descended to form earth is simply corresponding. 

A mythological happening, Pan Ku lived for 18,000 years, assisted by a tortoise, a phoenix, a dragon and a unicorn.

Left to right, Ken, Gan and Ronald are remarkable in inviting the deities, holding up in treasure of the deities above them, and wholehearted in ushering the deities to their celestial thrones, for the first time in the Wangkang museum.

A sumptuous feast is prepared for the deities.

The practicing for now, the great feast, to offer the deities is an art of the Tao of Relationship and from the beginning it has been practice for now. It is infallible.

I followed the deities to their imperial court meal, a unique meal that has some 200 years of history within the Bandar Hilir neighborhood. It is a very high standard meal.

I would like to call it, the Royal Deities Dining Chamber.

The deities’ meals had to be prepared according to the stringent menu with strictly no alterations.

Lavish meals like that of the standard of the imperial court meal is only possible with the immense communal kitchen works of the Babah and Nyonya in Melaka.

Fascinating stories is hidden in the dishes. First dish to describe, Papaya Chanap.

Papaya Chanap is almost an extinct traditional culinary skill and I wonder the UNESCO Department of Heritage is aware of this. Half ripe papaya carved in the shape of crabs, and skewed together in harmony. There is a story for Papaya Chanap for certain.

It has become a household name internationally that Chinese cuisine as good as and equal in reputation to that of Italy and France for its design, flavor and  taste.

What some 99 percent of the world population is not aware is the quality of Chinese cuisine has been further refined by the Baba and Nyonya.

A light, pillowy texture incorporating air is applied to steam Huat Kuih for earthly prosperity.

A smooth and creamy texture similar to that of butter is the Ang Ku Kuih (Tortoise Dessert).

Chewy unpreserved soft sticky pastry complemented by crispy chicken, crispy duck, crispy piglet, crispy bee lau and crispy bee pang contributed to the overloaded dishes as extra features to add qualities to the already exceptional expensive banquet.

If you have fun in picking up pieces from your plates, then you must go for the bee lau and bee pang.

I think here is the place I have seen the most expensive dining being offered to deities.

It may be strange or may not that while many of us cost-conscious diners argue on extra toppings or additional side, there are people within Melaka spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars on a single meal.

From appetizers to desserts and up to every fine dining of the Baba and Nyonya, it is intriguing to see what those meals end up being.

Ang Pau Kuih gives you firm bites, and exercise your jaw muscle while crushing and grinding granulated fragrant groundnut.

Beverages is of non-fizzy nor carbonated, but of branded wine, whiskey, brandy, and what not.

12 different juicy Seng Lei in bowls offer succulent and tender texture with the present of specially curated liquid in solid foods to all deities.

Succulent and chewy lobster carefully curated in taste and manners and specially decorated to greet the deities among all.

Baked to broiled, caramelized to charred, varied preparation methods is employed to guarantee a meal of court standard and as such, dishes undergo processes like, infused, marinated, poached, roasted, suateed, seared, smoked and the list goes on.

Tangyuan in ancient Chinese glazed ceramic bowls comforted by partnering plates provided enough space for a spoon.

Ceramic cups meant just for Chinese tea, takes the second rows after bowls of tangyuan while Chinese wine cups correctly occupied next to the Chinese Tea Cups for handy left use.

The practice of dictating the precise arrangement of tableware is an awesome heritage of the Chinese across China, and historical periods. This practice is further enriched by the Melaka’s Baba and Nyonya. For this banquet, Jack Sor and his team takes hours on table-settings.

Cigarettes and match sticks set on the left and chopstick set on the right and together with all other dishes, they are distanced equally apart to the naked eyes.

If you could identify the abalone dish, I know I would be at ease and to leave the remaining description of other dishes to you because words cannot completely describe the devotees’ dedication and this most expensive meal I have ever seen!

The deities are seated on gold joss paper during the banquet.

At the main meal chamber, harmony, peace and prosperity is bestowed to the devotees who followed the daoshi instructions.

Stand also need to bow, kneel also need to bow and at the same time the devotees dearly hold the joss-sticks in their hands, tossing now and then.

All the below items are worshiped to receive blessing in return from a feel of great admiration or devotion for the deities and after a show of adoration for the deities.

Wallets and handbags are placed in a Chinese Bamboo Tray to abide to the prosperity ritual.

Good fortune symbol, plums is one of the offerings made.

5 cups of Chinese Tea is refilled now and then during the OngYah’s birthday ceremony in the main dining chamber.

Lucky flowers, oranges, pearl rice with red dates, gold joss-paper, white wine, tea leaves, 5-levels vermicelli with red ribbon, huat kuih, a pair of lanterns and others are ritually offer to OngYah.

Daoshi uses a stalk of Liew Kee, to sprinkle water droplets radiating ripples of harmony, peace and prosperity to everyone celebrating OngYah’s birthday and the ritual is fulfilled.

Written by Daniel Ong

Sunday 9 August 2020 1:24 p.m.

Melaka. Malaysia.