Hor Eah and Hock Lock Siew

My wife and I went to a small unnamed private temple in Seberang Jaya today. That was after we had driven to the Kuan Imm Temple in Bukit Mertajam and found the place jam-packed with cars and people all lining up to enter the temple building under the warm afternoon sun.

Before I explain why temple visits are so popular on this day, let me say that today is the 30th day after Li Chun (立春) which marks the beginning of spring according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar. On this day, which normally coincides with the sixth day of March (unless it is a leap year like 2020, when it becomes the fifth day of March), the sun would have crossed the imaginary 315 longitudinal degrees in the sky and moved into the third solar term known as Jing Zhe (驚蟄) or the Awakening of Insects.

The unnamed temple in the Semilang area of Seberang Jaya

So why were my wife and I, and also the aforementioned countless people, visiting the Kuan Imm Temple or the small unnamed temple today? Well, it was to worship the Hor Eah (虎爺). The Hor Eah is the Tiger guardian deity, the image of which is often found on the floor of Taoist temple shrines.

On this day, the Hor Eah deity is said to awaken and open his mouth. Worshippers would pray to him - and sometimes feeding him raw offerings such as eggs, pork lard and soya bean (tauhu) cakes - and ask to avoid the xiaojin (小精) such as backstabbers, malicious gossipers and evil doers. Generally, bad luck. Traditional rituals would include stomping an effigy of a spiritual enemy in front of the Hor Eah, as well as burning paper gold offerings. [Note: I hope that I am correct to use these terms: Xiaojin (小精) in Penang Hokkien refers to villains while guijin (貴精) are the noble or helpful people. Please correct me if I am wrong.]

This practice is very prevalent in Penang, both on the island and the mainland, and so while my wife was awaiting her turn with the Taoist priest, I waited outside patiently. My eyes soon strayed to a group of three porcelain figurines. Ah, this must be the Hock Lock Siew (福祿壽) figurines that represent good fortune, prosperity and longevity.

They are quite popular in temples and houses. I know of people who display their sets of the Hock Lock Siew in their living room. One of my friends in Simpang Ampat has a magnificent set carved out of wood which belonged to his grandfather and is now his.

But I've always wondered how should the figurines be lined up. I know that the Siew (壽) figurine is that of the smiling, bald, wizened old man. It is no wonder that he is also known as the star of longevity. He's often depicted carrying a crooked staff with a gourd and he is always lined up on the side of the trio. But on which side? Left or right? And what of the other two figurines? Which one is the Hock (福) figurine and which is the Lock (祿) figurine? Which one stays in the centre? I always get confused.

Well, I guess my confusion ends here today. No way is any temple going to get their placements of the figurines wrong, right? I stared closely at the set in this temple. Looking straight on at the figurines, the Siew is obviously the one on the left side, the Lock should be in the centre and the Hock is on the right side. That's traditionally how the Chinese characters are written anyway, from top to bottom and from right to left.

The Lock figurine, depicting the star of prosperity, is dressed as a Mandarin official with an appropriate headgear that comes with two wing-like flaps. He carries a decorative sceptre of authority known as the ruyi (如意). Meanwhile, the Hock figurine, representing the star of good fortune, would be dressed as a scholar holding a scroll or sometimes a baby.

So now I know: the figurine with the wing flaps headgear is in the centre, the bald figurine is on the left and the remaining figurine must be on the right. That's the Hock Lock Siew to me.