ICH Courier

The concept of universal soul salvation evokes a powerful vision of spiritual compassion unfolding across time. At its heart lies the belief that the fate of the dead is not sealed in isolation. Through collective prayer, ritual action, and merit-making, the living can assist the departed in their journey through the afterlife.
Within Chinese religious traditions, these rites extend beyond family ancestors to include wandering spirits, those forgotten or neglected souls who have no descendants left to tend to their needs. Every ten years in Singapore, one temple continues to enact this profound expression of communal responsibility  toward the dead. At Kiew Lee Tong, a temple founded by the Henghwa community, the Decennial Universal Salvation of Souls ritual has been performed since the years of the Japanese Occupation. The Henghwa people also known as Xinghua, trace their ancestral origins to Putian in Fujian province, China. Their temple’s name, meaning “Nine Carp Cave,” recalls the legendary site in Putian associated with Daoist immortals.
The origins of this ritual are deeply tied to Singapore’s wartime history. During the Japanese Occupation, the Sook Ching massacre led to the execution of thousands of Chinese men suspected of anti-Japanese sympathies. Local folklore holds that many of these victims died violently  and unjustly, leaving their spirits restless and unable to find peace.
In response, members of the Henghwa community organized a large-scale salvation ritual in 1944. Its purpose was simple yet profound: to offer prayers and sustenance for those who died without proper rites, guiding their spirits toward peace and transcendence. The ritual combining both Taoist and Buddhist rites, have continued ever since, performed once every decade during the seventh lunar month, the period commonly known as Hungry Ghost Month.
I travelled to Singapore in August 2024 to witness this rare ceremony. The moment I stepped through the gates of Kiew Lee Tong, a palpable sense of yin energy, a quiet, solemn, and heavy atmosphere, seemed to fill the temple grounds. The atmosphere felt suspended between the living and the dead

Preparing the Sacred Space
In the weeks leading up to the ritual, the spirit known as Immortal Chen Zhangzhe is invoked through fuji , a form of planchette writing used to receive divine guidance. Acting as the ritual overseer, the immortal directs preparations and sanctifies the ceremonial objects. One of the most striking acts is the raising of the ritual banner. A towering wooden flagstaff, more than eleven metres tall, is erected in front of the temple. Using ink and consecrated cinnabar, sacred talismans are inscribed and affixed to the pole. The flagstaff serves as a spiritual beacon. Symbolically connecting heaven, earth, and the underworld, it announces to wandering souls that salvation rites are about to begin. At its peak hangs a lantern sheltered beneath a traditional bamboo rain hat yuli, accompanied by a paper crane and a long ceremonial streamer. In many Chinese traditions, the crane is believed to guide souls from the mortal realm toward transcendence. When the lantern is lit, it signals that the gateway between worlds has opened. Along the road leading to the temple, smaller lanterns known as “Six Paths for Ghosts” lights are erected. Mounted on wooden poles and similarly protected by bamboo hats, they illuminate the way for spirits travelling through the six realms of existence.
Just outside the temple gates stands a temporary refuge prepared for lonely spirits. Paper effigies of underworld deities watch over the space, while toys are scattered on the ground for the souls of deceased children. Nearby tables hold offerings of food and incense for wandering spirits who have no descendants to remember them. Throughout the ritual period, Taoist priests and Buddhist monks alternate in chanting, their voices weaving together different strands of Chinese religious tradition.

Ritual Theatre: Mulian Rescues His Mother
At the heart of the three-day event is a dramatic ritual theatre known as Mulian Jiu Mu, the story of Mulian rescuing his mother from hell.
This narrative, drawn from the Yulanpen Sutra, tells of a filial son named Fu Luobo, later known as Mulian. When Mulian discovers that his mother has been condemned to hell for her misdeeds, he renounces worldly life and becomes a Buddhist monk. Armed with sacred knowledge granted by the Buddha, he descends into the underworld in search of her. After witnessing the torments of the condemned across the Ten Courts of Hell, Mulian ultimately learns that only acts of merit can redeem the dead. By making offerings to monks and generating spiritual merit, he succeeds in freeing his mother from suffering.
At Kiew Lee Tong, this story is not performed merely as theatre. It functions as ritual drama, believed to channel divine power and generate merit for the dead. Actors undergo ritual preparation before performing. Taoist priests and Buddhist monks bless them, while special talismans are placed inside their costumes and wigs for protection. The actor portraying Mulian must also learn sacred mantras associated with the salvation rites.
Mulian carries a distinctive six-ring staff jiuxi lianhuan zhang, whose rings symbolize beings across the six realms of existence. Within the ritual context, this staff is treated not simply as a stage prop but as a sacred implement.

Offerings for the Forgotten Dead
A distinctive feature of the Henghwa ritual is the offering arrangement known as gupan, literally translated to “orphan plates.”
Unlike ancestral offerings made for known family spirits, gupan are intended specifically for wandering souls who have no descendants to care for them. Placed throughout the ritual space, these trays serve as both

sustenance and invitation, drawing neglected spirits into the circle of ritual salvation. Each tray is prepared with care and dignity, as though the deceased were part of one’s own family. Alongside vegetarian food offerings—rice, tea, tofu, peanuts, vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and fruit—three symbolic items are always included:

• Koli puay– a small woven pouch containing rice and preserved radish, representing a simple travelling meal.
• Ho-li– a straw rain hat, offering shelter for the spirit’s journey.
• Cao-a– straw sandals, allowing the soul to walk safely through the realms of the afterlife.

Twelve trays are arranged in total, one for each month of the lunar calendar. In leap years, a thirteenth tray is added so that no time, and no spirit, is overlooked.
Two unusual items also appear on the offering trays. One is a starch paste prepared by mixing dried starch powder with water. Temple helpers describe it as a healing salve for spirits who may have died violently and suffered bodily injuries. The other is a soft porridge-like preparation made from mee sua noodles, known in Henghwa dialect as cha hon. Its thick consistency is believed to help spirits who cannot swallow solid food.

The Three Days of Ritual
The ritual unfolds across three days, each with a distinct spiritual purpose.

Day One: Opening the Altar
The first day begins with the establishment of the sacred altar. Ritual masters purify the space with incense, water, and talismans, transforming the temple grounds into a cosmic crossroads linking heaven, earth, and the underworld.
A solemn procession follows. Banners and percussion accompany chants that symbolically open the gates of the netherworld. Initial offerings of food, incense, and spirit money are cast into the air to appease restless souls. The first act of the Mulian ritual theatre then begins.

Day Two: Mulian’s Journey Through Hell
The second day carries a darker emotional tone.
In the theatrical narrative, Mulian descends through the Ten Courts of Hell, witnessing the punishments inflicted on sinners, souls being boiled, crushed, or sawed apart. When he finds his mother suffering among them, he pleads for mercy but learns that redemption requires the accumulation of merit. During this stage of the ritual, families also participate more directly. Names of the deceased are called aloud while actors portraying male and female spirits kneel on stage to receive salvation. Mulian writes talismans bearing the characterpo, meaning “break”, symbolically breaking open the gates of hell. Another rite known as the Blood Lake Ritual is performed. This ceremony is dedicated to souls believed to have died under traumatic circumstances, particularly women associated with childbirth or miscarriage.
For three hours, temple assistants call out the names of both known ancestors and unknown wandering spirits. Through chanting, talismanic action, and collective merit making, each spirit is symbolically lifted towards release.

Day Three: Redemption and Closure
The final day coincides with the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.
In the dramatic climax of the Mulian theatre, the underworld deity Dua Ya Pek bursts from the stage accompanied by costumed hell guards. Their frenzied movements contrast sharply with the solemn ritual atmosphere. Symbolically, these underworld officials sweep through the spirit realm gathering any souls that may have been left behind, ensuring that none are excluded from the salvation rites.
By the end of the performance, Mulian succeeds in saving his mother. She is released from suffering and reborn in a higher realm. The stage is then ritually cleansed by the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, restoring spiritual balance.

Sending the Spirits Home
The ritual concludes with the song ling ceremony—sending the spirits back to their respective realms. At the centre of this act is the burning of a large paper boat adorned with offerings and inscribed names. As the flames rise, the boat becomes a symbolic vessel carrying the souls onward to their destination. Through this final gesture, the community ensures that the dead are not only fed and remembered, but respectfully escorted away in peace.
For a brief moment each decade, Kiew Lee Tong becomes a meeting place between worlds—where ancestors, wandering ghosts, and the living gather within the same ritual space.
The decennial universal salvation of souls is therefore more than a religious ceremony. It is a powerful expression of collective memory and compassion. By caring not only for their own ancestors but also for forgotten spirits, the Henghwa community affirms a deeply rooted belief: that no soul, however lost, should be left behind.