Data collection : Culture and Religion of the Chinese in Singapore during colonial times

Source A: A write-up from " YourSingapore, culture and heritage ". ( Taken from :

 http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/see-and-do/culture-and-heritage/places-of-worship.html )

"Built between 1908 and 1913, the Hong San See temple, located along Mohamed Sultan Road, was originally located at Wallich Street in Tanjong Pagar in 1836. Established by the Hokkien people of the Lam Ann clan, this temple is dedicated to Guang Ze Zun Wang, the God of Fortune. It later relocated to Mohamed Sultan road, and the temple now draws worshippers from different dialect groups." "The Hong San See Temple was designated as a national monument in 1978. In 2010, it was also honoured with the Award of Excellence in the 2010 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The façade and the interior of the temple have gone through numerous restorations, with the first in 1868 when the old temple was at Tanjong Pagar area. Apart from Guang Ze Zun Wang, other deities worshipped here include Buddha and Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy."

From Source A, I can tell that dedicating for religious purposes was important. This can be seen from the fact that they built temples to worship gods and repray for their safety etc. This meant that they wanted to pray for safety, harmony and other things and were religious as it was part of their culture.

Source B: excerpt of YourSingapore, Festivals and Events. ( Taken from: http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/whats-on/festivals-and-events/chinese-new-year.html )

 

"Symbolically, new clothes are usually worn to signify the new year. It is also the tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their homes to “sweep away” any ill-fortune, making way for the arrival of good luck. Chinese New Year also brings people together, and is marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known simply as "new-year visits". The highlight for children and younger members of the family during these visits comes in little red packets, or “hong bao”, filled with money. Another significant tradition is the Reunion Dinner, which takes place on the Eve of Chinese New Year, and is an occasion for families to come together and eat."

 

From Source B, I can tell that dedicating for religious purposes was important as this can be seen from the fact that they celebrate Chinese New Year and Reunion Dinner to understand more about  the Chinese culture and being respectful to the culture. This meant that they do not want to forgo the previously Chinese accustom of offering the gods and all which proved to be religious and of cultural purposes.



Source C: Excerpt of a blog spot ( Taken from: http://rememberingsingapore.blogspot.sg/2013/01/the-chinese-amahs.html )

"Some women in the Pearl River Delta found a way to maintain their independence while keeping social acceptability. The formed sisterhoods, taking vows of celibacy.  

A woman would take this vow in front of an altar, and have her hair combed up from a girl's pigtail into a married woman's bun (known as sor hei in Cantonese). In effect, the sor hei ceremony was equivalent to that of marriage.  The woman now had no place under her family's roof.  She could be independent and keep whatever she earned."
 



 From Source C, I can tell that dedicating for religious purposes was important. This can be seen from how women tied their hair in buns. Known also as " Sor hei ", often live together unmarried and plan to stay unmarried and independent for the rest of their lives. This meant that they did not want to be married and even took an oath to promise as of cultural and religious purposes.

 

clothing of the women when Sor hei