Description
About the Editors

Embark on a captivating cultural journey of discovery into the enchanting realm of Chinese vernacular shrine culture in Singapore. Vernacular shrines are small, unformalised shrines located next to trees, in hawker centres and bus interchanges, at the road sides, and other public spaces. They may appear humble but hold immense social and cultural significance.

Through interviews, fieldwork data, and striking photographs, this book explores the history, evolution, and a panoply of deities, traditions, peoples, and communities associated with these shrines. Prepare to be mesmerised by the blending of belief systems and multicultural practices, where popular Chinese gods and goddesses sit alongside Hindu deities, Datuk Gong, and Nang Kwak. These shrines not only manifest a pluralistic character but also function as social spaces for forging inter-ethnic and community identities on a micro-societal level. Discover the captivating stories, myths, and rituals that make these shrines an integral part of Singapore’s cultural heritage.

本书将带领各位踏上一段引人入胜的文化之旅，探索新加坡华人神龛文化的迷人之处。本书所关注的神龛是构造较小的非正式神龛，它们分布在树旁、小贩中心、巴士转换站、路边或其他公共空间中。这些神龛或许毫不起眼，但它们承载着重要的社会文化意义。

通过进行访谈、实地调查和照片拍摄，本书探索了本地神龛的历史和演变，以及与这些神龛相关的神明、传统、族群和社区实践。在这里，您将会看到多元融合的信仰体系和文化实践。广受欢迎的华人神明和女神通常会与印度教神明、拿督公和南卦等其他宗教传统的神明共同受到供奉。这些神龛呈现出多元化的特征，在微型社会层面上，神龛也是形塑族群认同和社区认同的社会空间。这些引人入胜的故事、神话和仪式使神龛成为新加坡文化遗产的重要组成部分，让我们一同去探索吧！
Francis Lim Khek Gee s associate professor of sociology at the Nanyang Technological University. He holds research interests in religion, tourism, and technology and society in various Asian societies. He is the author and co-editor of 7 books. His peer-reviewed studies have been published in journals such as Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Religions, Global Media and China, Asian Studies Review, Asian Journal of Social Science, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, and European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. He was a recipient of the Emslie Horniman Scholarship from the Royal Anthropological Institute. He research has been supported by the Radcliffe Brown Dissertation Grant, the University of London Fieldwork Grant, the Asia Research Institute, the Singapore Ministry of Education, Nanyang Technological University and the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. He earned his Ph.D. from SOAS, University of London.

Kuah Khun Eng is distinguished professor of Anthropology and Chinese Diaspora Studies at the School of International Studies and Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies, Jinan University (Guangzhou, China). She was formerly Professor of Anthropology and Head of the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong and lecturer at University of Melbourne. She also held visiting positions at Harvard-Yenching Institute, Harvard University, University of Paris Diderot (France), Oxford University (UK) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).

Her research specialisations include Chinese Diaspora-China Connections (hometown connections, migration and identity, Chinese entrepreneurship, Chinese women, social and cyber-capital; social movements; China-Global Chinese philanthropy; heritage and traditional Chinese medicine and herbal tea); and Reformist Buddhism, Buddhist compassion and philanthropy in East and Southeast and Asia. She is the author of 5 books including a Chinese language book; editor/co-editor of 10 edited books and 6 special journal issues; and author of 90 journal articles and book chapters. Her latest books are The Social Production of Buddhist Compassion in Chinese Society (Routledge, 2022) and Rebuilding the Ancestral Village: Singaporeans in China (Routledge, 2022, 3rd imprint), Covid-19 Responses of Local Communities around the World: Exploring Trust in the Context of Risk and Fear (Ed., Routledge 2023).

For the project on Gods on Earth: Vernacular Shrines, Religious Heritage and Community Formation in Singapore and the book Chinese Vernacular Shrines in Singapore【转角遇神明：新加坡华人神龛文化】, the author wishes to acknowledge the support given to her by the School of International Studies/Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies, Jinan University (Guangzhou, China).

Lin Chia Tsun is currently working as a curator at the National Heritage Board, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. She is also an associate instructor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She holds research interests in Overseas Chinese studies, clan associations, religion, and migration. She has led and participated in several heritage documentation projects in Singapore, conducting research on a range of topics such as Nine Emperor Gods Festival, Chinese clan associations, Chinese temples and Intangible Cultural Heritage. She earned her Ph.D from Nanyang Technological University focusing on the dynamics of Overseas Chinese Associations’ networks.

Authors

Chinese Vernacular Shrines in Singapore【转角遇神明：新加坡华人神龛文化】