Nan Tian Gong (Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple), Selangor安邦南天宫（九皇爷庙）
- Type
- Overseas Daoist Temples
- Location
- Malaysia · Selangor state · Ampang · Jalan Ampang, Kampung Baru Ampang
- First built
- c. 1890s · Generally traced to a temple founded by Chinese tin-mining laborers in Ampang in the late nineteenth century; sources differ on the exact founding year.
Overview
Nan Tian Gong, Ampang, is one of the largest and most active Nine Emperor Gods temples in Malaysia, generally traced to a temple founded by Chinese tin-mining laborers in the Ampang area in the late nineteenth century. Every year, the sacred carriage of the Nine Emperors is welcomed at the riverside on the night of the thirtieth day of the eighth lunar month, and the deities are sent off on the ninth day of the ninth month; during the nine-day period of Nine Emperor vegetarian observance, vegetarian food stalls fill the entire Ampang area, and devotees dress in white, tie yellow cords around their waists, keep a vegetarian fast and ritually bathe, taking part in the invitation of the sacred fire, fire-walking, climbing the sword ladder and deity processions. Before the temple stands a "light pole" for the Nine Emperors (a tall bamboo pole hung with nine lanterns), the most conspicuous symbol of the Nine Emperor Gods cult. The doctrinal origin of the Nine Emperor Gods cult lies in the Daoist Star Lords of the Northern Dipper, but its practice in the Nanyang region is deeply fused with spirit-medium possession, vegetarian precept-keeping and the local temple-fair economy, and is generally regarded by scholars as popular religion rather than a strict Daoist ritual tradition. During the Nine Emperor vegetarian period, this temple draws devotees from across the states numbering more than 100,000 visits.
Highlights
- One of the largest Nine Emperor Gods temples in Malaysia
- Traced to a community of Chinese tin-mining laborers in Ampang in the late nineteenth century
- Light poles raised, sacred carriage welcomed and sent off, fire-walking and sword-ladder climbing during the vegetarian period
- The vegetarian period draws devotees from across the states numbering more than 100,000 visits
- Fuses Daoist Northern Dipper belief with spirit-medium possession practice