UNESCO World Heritage preserves intangible Wangkang, so is China and Malaysia

Inscribed in 2020 (15.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Melaka YouTube Channel is covering the Wangkang 2020 Ceremony in detail. In anticipation of researchers wanting to study this intangible near extinct asset for mankind, best efforts are being taken on a day to day basis to document the moments. [ October 2019 to November 2020 ]

Specially written by 

王贤河

Ong Hian Hoe

Cheng Hoon Teng (Note 1)

王舡制作团队:

吴国兴   郑春桦   王进德   李添振   张正煌

王舡(国安號)制作团队

A Documented – Wangkang

This documented timeline may be useful as a source for references to anyone who is interested, to research and to study its cultural artifact in the field of social sciences particularly anthropology, ethnology and sociology. It is hope this documented Wangkang can offer a wider group of readers some rudimentary knowledge about Wangkang history in Melaka, thus promoting cultural exchanges between China and Melaka.

[ 1 ] Wangkang is a Chinese heritage brought along with them when the Chinese migrated from China to Melaka. 

[ 2 ] The full story of the Chinese settlement in Malaysia has yet to be told. One of the most important settlement in Malaysia is Melaka.

[ 3 ] The Hokkiens, and Hakkas forms about 60 percent of the total immigrants and the other 40 percent comprised Cantonese, Teochius and Hailams.

[ 4 ] Thus, early Chinese contacts with the Malay Peninsula may go back to the beginning of the first century B.C.

[ 5 ] Chinese established trade relations since the Ming Dynasty (1369-1644) and in 1403, the Yung Lo Emperor (1403-24) sent to Melaka the eunuch Yin Ch’ing for this purpose. The Melaka Ruler thereafter, sent envoys to China in 1405 and 1407.

[ 6 ] Some of the oldest Chinese relics extant in Melaka are to be found on Bukit Cina, a site which attracts buses and buses load of Chinese tourists. Sam Poh Kong Temple and the Hang Li Poh Well are the two remnants which they may want to correlate.

[ 7 ] In Buddhism, the Three Jewels is called the “San Pao” in Chinese which is a title conferred on Zheng He in 1431.

[ 8 ] Bukit Cina is a famous historical site today where the Chinese settled on the foothill and they are principally carpenters, artisans, craftsmen, manufacturer and merchants.

[ 9 ] Then Chinese male immigrants married Batak and Balinese women giving rise to the prestigious Babas or Peranakans community. The Straits-born Chinese are those born in the Malay Peninsula, particularly in Penang, Melaka and Singapore. Sinkheh was labelled to Chinese arrivals at a later stage to Nanyang.

[ 10 ] Being industrious and enterprising, the Chinese processed tin and gold which was measured in unit, pikul, all of which was exported. (One pikul is equivalent to 100 kati)

[ 11 ] Next, cash-crops led a large influx of Chinese cultivators into Melaka working on tapioca, rubber, gambier, pepper, cotton and cinnamon. To name two of some 30 businessmen, Chan Koon Cheng (Note 2) and Ong Keng Hoon (Note 3) created economic value for Melaka by planting tapioca and setting up tapioca factories.

[ 12 ] Another tapioca planter, Tan Chay Yan, began the first rubber planting in 1895. Booming prices which rose from 2 shillings per pound in 1900 to more than 12 shilling by 1910 made the Babas or Peranakans super rich.

[ 13 ] But soon, 8 years later, The Spanish flu also known as the 1918 flu pandemic strike the world causing a severe depression of the 1920-2. 

[ 14 ] I was told during the first half of 2019 by Dato’ Ronald Gan (Note 4), Ken Lai and Jack Sor that OngYah ordered a Wangkang in 1919, 1933, 2001, 2012 and in November 2020.

[ 15 ] For November 2020 Wangkang, Ong Yah spelled out the order on 31 December 2017, a decision made 3 years ago.

[ 16 ] The Chinese seek the blessings from specific deities in their undertakings and endeavor.

[ 17 ] Before Zheng He sailed to Nanyang on his Bao Chuan, he seek blessing from Mazu, a deity dressed in red with divine power to calm wind and waves in the midst of the seething sea. Zheng He set the example for all Chinese sea travelers. Basically, the Chinese regularly only seek 2 simple blessings, harmony and peace.

[ 18 ] Like all other races, the Chinese understand that all wondering souls and spirits are in the streets and the number of them accumulate over time. If they are not taken care of, problem comes.

[ 19 ] You name it … harmony, health, peace, economic stability, political stability and many other unknown coming disruptions could be lurking in the corners.

[ 20 ] In harmony and health, the specific deity is Shouxing. Caishen is the Wealthy God to everyone, the businessmen and the wage earner.

[ 21 ] The Baxian, are the 8 Immortals divinely combined to bestow life or to tame evils on the streets.

[ 22 ] Once tamed, the convinced wondering souls and spirits are handed to the Heibai Wuchang, both assisting the Yanwang to escort spirits to his realm.

[ 23 ] As the Wangkang Barge set to sail, Mazu take care the safety of their voyage to make sure wind and waves is calm with her divine power.

[ 24 ] I understand that the Ikan Belut Laut, the Babah call; is an eel living in waters of the ocean, burrow into sand, mud or amongst rock and they are also seen living together in holes.

[25] The two eels you will see for your own eyes, remind you, is not drawn onto the side of the barge but are crafted painstakingly by Jensen Teo. 

[ 26 ] The eels shall standby to plug holes of the barge as a safety precaution standard during sail to uphold the promise of protection to the wondering souls and spirits while Mazu’s watchful eyes on the path of the sea waters taken let her command the ocean affairs.

[ 27 ] OngYah, Baxian, Heibai Wuchang and Mazu works as a team for this majestic Wangkang Ceremony.

[ 28 ] By now, do you see that the Wangkang Ceremony is ordered not only just to protect the livings but also to protect the wondering souls and spirits? [ Touch 11:21 (Blue Color) in the Description of This Video to listen. It will jump to the BookMark immediately instead of watching the video from Start. ] Listening to Dato' Ronald Gan are Eric Olmedo, Ph.D and Dr. David Neo.

[ 29 ] Eric Olmedo is a Principal Research Fellow as a UNESCO Chair Project Manager based at the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

[ 30 ] Dr. David Neo is heading the Faculty of Film, Theatre & Animation, with the Universiti Teknologi MARA.

[ 31 ] Some may want to kill them, the wondering souls and spirits!

[ 32 ] The wondering souls and spirits are lifted in the hierarchy of needs by the Wangkang Ceremony and in doing so, they return harmony, peace and prosperity to where your town is.

[ 33 ] Wonderings souls and spirits are collected onto the barge. Rice, cooking oil, cooking stoves, cooking utensils and other groceries are provided on the barge to be kept in the kitchen section of the barge to feed them.

[ 34 ] Gold and silver monies are also to be loaded onto the barge for the wondering souls and spirits to use.

[ 35 ] Folks in town, individual or groups and organizations, businesses and associations would contribute in kind, cash and goods to support a smooth sail.

[ 36 ] I have heard many times, when the Wangkang Barge has been set to sail, the moment you turn away from the burning ship, you must NOT TURN BACK to look at it. The barge will be burned at night, so it is not the time in material whether you turn away, for example, 9 o’clock or nine fifteen. It is the Moment.

[ 37 ] Can anyone enrich my knowledge on why not to turn back with your comment feedback below.

[ 38 ] This road arch, PERAYAAN WANGKANG will stand from July 2020 onwards to warm up Melaka City of the approaching ancient sacred ceremony performed by Yong Chuan Tian Temple 勇全殿 [ Watch how Joy Group erect the arch here ] Joy Group is a lettering and signs team with immense skills to promote your objectives since 1975. You can seek their expertise by calling +606 281 8999 - Malaysia Outdoor Advertising

Image Source: Joy Group - Ideal for Signs

[ 39 ] I think as I write this line on Monday 6 July 2020 at 11:09 a.m., Tun Mohd. Ali may grace the opening of this Wangkang Arch when it is ready but I am not sure whether he would and it is better for me to cross my fingers.

[ 40 ] Why I am thinking this way is because I was glancing on Tun Mohd. Ali’s 2012 message on Wangkang while typing herein. 

[ 41 ] Who is sure that 8 years later, Tun is going to be the Governor of Melaka and most probably, Tun will again take great pride towards the Ancient Majestic Wangkang Ceremonial Procedures reckoned by China and Melaka as an intangible heritage?

[ 42 ] An associate chartered accountant by study, Mr. Ken Lai pioneered the 2012 Wangkang Ceremony and this coming Wangkang is directed by Dato’ Ronald Gan, a legal practitioner.

[ 43 ] No one else except OngYah made an absolute selection for both of them.

[ 44 ] In Tun's 2012 message to the people of Melaka while he was Chief Minister of Melaka, Tun said that he took great pride towards the Wangkang Ceremony. [ Updated Tuesday 7 July 2020 8:31 a.m. ]

[ 45 ] His pride is proudly respected not only by the Chinese community but other communities as well. His pride is a symbol of calibre to his people at large and a profound honor to him, not me alone but many others who hold high admiration for Tun. His charismatic and dynamic leadership have touched the hearts of many, the rich and the poor, in the past. Tun is simply a humble man.

[ 46 ] Immortality, the Baxian have touched the lives of many dynasties since time immemorial and ingrained in the minds of the Chinese is the prowess of the each Baxin divine strength.

[ 47 ] Bravery in battle, each immortal has a magical tool where the monstrous force is obliterated.

[ 48 ] Baxian would assure the voyage is safe for the living and the dead and their main job as nimble-witted immortal can view any subject from a multitude of angles, often shifting perspective with bewildering rapidity.

[ 49 ] Before the eight immortals descend down to earth to guard the Wangkang Barge, Jensen Teo has to get ready their divine tools for the Yin-Yang Eyes Opening ritual commonly called the KaiGuang ritual.

[ 50 ] Jensen Teo started to shape the first weapon, The Gourd, last week and held it against the body of the barge at 2:11 p.m. It was Monday 29 June 2020.

[ 51 ] 8 rectangular softboards with dimension 600 mm in length by 300 mm in width are used to sculpture these magical weapons.

[ 52 ] Lu Dongbin’s sword

[ 53 ] Zhongli Quan’s hand fan

[ 54 ] Han Xiangzi’s flute

[ 55 ] Zhang Guolao’s fish drum

[ 56 ] Li Tieguai’s gourd

[ 57 ] He Xiangu’s lotus flower

[ 58 ] Lan Caihe’s flower basket

[ 59 ] Cao Guojiu’s jade tablet

[ 60 ] Super dedicated, Jensen Teo rendered his fine craftsmanship using his comprehensive range of chisels to form Baxian’s weapons.

[ 61 ] Since a sheet of 2400x1200mm softboard, weighs 350 kg/m3, Jensen Teo has to endure about 0.50 kg of dust floated from the board as he lathed one piece or 4.00 kg for eight pieces.

[ 62 ] Calculated Dust Weight above is a proof of commitment Jensen Teo has for Ong Yah’s majestic Wangkang Barge celebrant Dato’ Ronald Gan is going to fulfil.

[ 63 ] Jensen Teo cut through tougher section with a firmer gouge, before using spindle gouge to create curves like swells and hollows. Making thin cuts with parting tools, diamond tools to reduce friction, round nose scrapers in spindle turning for smoothing coves and what not.

[ 64 ] Transforming oneself onto each board to get a micro view on the small details of Jensen Teo’s works, one could see mountains, hills, valleys, plains, plateaus and features like elevation, latitude or longitude. 

[ 65 ] The topography vary from fan to flute, fish drum to flower basket and so on. So lively, the 8 trigram Bagua, shall be used to KaiGuang them. His works is awesome. I mean Jensen. [ Updated Wednesday 8 July 2020 12:05 a.m. ]

[ 66 ] At the mercy of wind, haze blanketed the eastern skies annually and may return again this year just as Malaysians are heaving a sigh of relief from Covid-19 pandemic.

[ 67 ] Fanned by the easterly wind, the ferocious fires on the mountains subsided or the intense heat may not allow anyone to use the coastal waters. Reminisced Zhongli Quan’s fan miraculously stop the fires on Shaw Brothers silver screens in 1971 and microscopically indulging in Jensen Teo’s works, but upon the piercing polishing noise of the barge's eyes by Wah Chai, I was “time-travelled” back from the soft-board to the Wangkang shipyard.

[ 68 ] The wind powers the voyages of barges in early years and ancient admiral read the phoenix vane to use kinetic energy in their sails. 

[ 69 ] The immortal king of all birds, phoenix radiates virtue and grace. There are two at the highest points above the barge and these phoenix have stolen smiles of affections from Kok Heng, the master builder. (affectionate means having or displaying warmth or affection). Check the truth in this bracket [ Touch 7:35 (Blue Color) in the Description of This Video to digest. It will jump to the BookMark immediately instead of watching the video from Start. ] Adore his smiling cheeks and chin where his lidded eyes concealed his satisfaction, not exhausted from a job decreed by OngYah. [ Updated Friday 10 July 2020 3:42 p.m. ]

[ 70 ] Standing tall on an 18 feet mainmast, a phoenix served as an anemometer above water level in between the shorter mizzenmast and the foremast. The other phoenix take guard on the foremast.

[ 71 ] The process of accurately determining the position and controlling the movement of the barge along a desired course is an orchestrated work of the phoenix, the mast, the sail and the rudder. (Yongxiang Lu, a technology historian reported that the Chinese developed the rudder for steering a ship in the first century A.D.)

[ 72 ] Everyone knows that a mast is a tall upright post on a barge in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails.

[ 73 ] Without a mast to hold up the sails to catch the wind, a barge is "dead in the water" and a mast is a piece of timber elevated perpendicularly upon the keel of this Wangkang barge. 

Yes Sir, ... Kok Heng ! ... I see your passion in identifying the perpendicular bisector against the varying characteristic curves with the port (left side) of the barge. 

[ 74 ] In partial darkness only to be illuminated by a fluorescent tube, I seized the moment to capture your passion, video shooting from your right side while Yew Chai was in deep thought concentrating on the diligent carpentry. [ Touch 2:05 (Blue Color) in the Description of this video to check. It will jump to the BookMark immediately instead of watching the video from Start. ]

[ 75 ] You can see the lowering of the mast and the erection of the mast at specific points of the barge journey before it anchored on Pulau Melaka (Note 5). [ Updated Saturday 11 July 2020 9:13 am ]

[ 76 ] Sitting imperially on a log which is a deified keel selected by OngYah, the sacred keel witnessed by community leaders, reporters, related government agencies, China delegate and Taoist members, charms 10 feet and 10 inches of the port longitudinally.

[ 77 ] 5 feet and 4 inches on the X Coordinates not only brawn the roaring lion head protruding above the bowsprit, but also divinely securing a perfect bow wave for the Wangkang Barge.

[ 78 ] These measurements are not just mathematical figures quantified by bills of material of an engineer but OngYah’s diagnosis in 2017 applicable in 2020 only. At first, I wonder why.

[ 79 ] Kok Heng spent his utmost commitment undisturbed of any external stimuli rendering a the heavenly keel indefatigably.

[ 80 ] The hind weight-bearing keel of length 5 feet 6 inches under the stern of the barge is a precise requirement of the OngYah celestial palace.

[ 81 ] Inner space of the port, Yew Chai (Note 6) and me have noted that the kitchen is ready for use by wondering souls and spirit and the kitchen cabinets are installed to store groceries.

[ 82 ] Let’s go back in the near future on the bottom lines to the inner space enclosed by the port and starboard when members of the Yong Chuan Tian Temple store groceries in the kitchen.

[ 83 ] 14 flitches of a 155 mm plywood from shelf edge to shelf edge embody the starboard and the port from the keel to the beam, meeting at the bow and the stern. 4 layers of plywood with a total thickness of 25 mm raised the center of mass and perfected the center of flotation of the water place of the Wangkang barge.

[ 84 ] [ Check out the Port Of The Barge by CLICKING HERE ]

[ 84 ] A mosaic floor tiler who venture into as a building contractor, Kok Heng is ignorant of ship building when OngYah dictated him to construct the Wangkang barge. [ Updated Sunday 12 July 2020 3:16 pm ]

[ 85 ] Above the fourteenth flitch at the port side of the barge, Choon Hua pulled the retractable measuring tape and measured in vertical lengths, 70 mm, 120 mm, 170 mm, and 220 mm.

[ 86 ] These lateral measurements are recorded from the hull to the pinnacle of the buttress dome-shaped of each Baxian deified weapons consecutively. The hull is the main body of the barge from the deck down. The time of a photo shoot was 11:32 am Sunday 12 July 2020 before rain water started to pour. Sunny sky, the exposure time is 1/20s, aperture F1.9, focal length 4.30 mm, ISO 1000 and no flash using the Samsung SM-G925F cellphone camera.

[ 87 ] Ba Xian Guo Hai timely reminded me of their earthly powers to protect the lives of ancient China and they crosses rivers and oceans. Staunch Chinese always equates Baxian prowess with water. Mazu is water-related. Ikan Belut is water-related. The reflections of fine drops of water arrested the attention of Kok Heng, Choon Hua and Dennis Teo, a photographer as I bypassed the entrance of the shipyard.

[ 88 ] Kok Heng exclaimed, “ Hope it doesn’t rain “ in hokkien dialect.

[ 89 ] Well you see, many brawny men of the temple has been enthralled for the barge to be seated on the a carriage. They came in early on a bright sunny morning for the task.

[ 90 ] Standing on a corner of the shipyard, I watched multiple streams of rain water creeping and flowing into the shipyard as if heaven wants to float the barge. Heavy rain then and now, 10:16 am first day third week of July.

[ 91 ] The Nissan forklift got a wash in the rain before it entered the shipyard and the rain stopped before the weight lifting machine climbed onto a lorry. I observed how a sacred barge has been docked in an enclosed area of water. [ Updated Monday 13 July 2020 10:27 am ] 

Watch Forklift Entry & Exit – Here Entry / Exit Below Here (Not Curated Original Raw Video)

Video Properties

General: C0034 File Type MP4 Size 40.1 MB 7/12/2020 1:36 PM

[ 92 ] The sturdy stem returns to its formal position after the auspicious lift (refer 91) and the barge is moored to Kok Heng's make-to-fit chassis.

[ 93 ] As a front-most part of the barge, the stem is an extension of the keel itself often found on wooden boats or ships. The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to the gunwale of the barge. The gunwale is the upper edge on both sides of the barge.

[ 94 ] Because the stem is very sturdy, the top end of it may have something attached, either ornamental or functional in nature.

[ 95 ] Figurehead can only be attached to the upper end of the stem, as a symbolic design to announce the role of the barge. The figurehead oversaw the Wangkang renaissance by Yong Chuan Tian since 1891.

[ 96 ] The Lion Head is always the figurehead. And Dragon Head is also always the figurehead at the stern.

[ 97 ] The gunwale is three tiered to honor OngYah’s palace at the aft-most part of the barge that runs from the stern through the greatest width of the barge to the stem.

[ 98 ] What’s up in front of the barge is very, very unpredictable to sailor man and what’s up behind the barge is very, very and very scary.

[ 99 ] On this Wangkang barge, the Lion Head lead the barge telling whatever in front to respect that the King of The Kingdom is approaching. Alike a patrol car signaling road user to pull over to the left and the right of its path, the Lion roar to the creatures of the seas to give way to this VIB (Very Important Barge) This is how the Lion roars ferociously - Click Listen or Watch a video after [ 104 ]

[ 100 ] Acts of Refusal, if any, of such seas creatures would be dealt with severely by the Dragon, and Baxian.

[ 101 ] Seas creatures comprises of the bad, the good and the ugly.

[ 102 ] Water demons, water monsters, water serpents, water witches and all sea creatures are governed by the Dragon Kings. The blue-green Dragon King takes care of the Eastern Sea is Ao Kuang who nurture for spring, the Red Dragon is the patron of the South China Sea developing summer, the Black Dragon is in the north, an influencer for winter and the White Dragon transform summer to winter with autumn.

[ 103 ] The bad, the good and the ugly seas creatures can sense an approaching barge even the barge is not in sight or is still far away. We will be leaving out the good and the ugly. The troublesome ones also attack from behind the barge or standstill from the seafloor watching with illuminating eerie eyes and ripples creepy noises as the barge move further and further from them. It is about instinct.

[ 104 ] They do not require consciousness to act and their behavior is acted out without thinking nor done by free will or choice but by the forces of nature. They just wanted to defend their territories underneath the seas. The bow cuts through the water of the massive waves coming with wind and it transmit signal which the ocean ecosystem propagated into multiple signals. They pick up the signals.

[ 105 ] So, they have special communications unlike what man is relying on the trending whatsapp communication.

[ Updated Tuesday 14 July 2020 8:54 pm ]

[ 106 ] The supervisory Lead Dragon Head is just above the rudder responsible for defense and security of the barge. Choon Hua (Wah Chai) unexpectedly noted the emergence of left eye of another dragon when he was polishing a part piece of the pine tree. This incidence encouraged him to dig other parts for the ears, nostril and mouth for the dragon who guard the rudder. Listen to his description here.

There is another incident where Jensen Teo is delighted on the emergence of the eel's eyes.

Both incidents represent the coming of the safe guarding warriors.

[ 107 ] The spade, the large muscular tail and the spine coupled with the body nervous system which responds to stimuli in the environment, reassured the supervisory dragon of any signal relay from the Lion above the bowsprit.

[ 108 ] How aggressive the dragon would react is dependable on the flow of messages received via the gunwale from the Lion.

[ 109 ] Dragon walks on the toes and less on the soles of their feet as humans do and because of this, the tendons is extremely strong. Supporting the long upper bones and attaching the fingers or toes, the tendons is able to trigger splitting-seconds movement of the golden curved, long and razor-sharp retractable claws. Here again, instinctively, the defense and security dragon know when to thrust itself. With the chimu 尺木, the dragon ascend to the sky catapulted with the attributes of the other 11 creatures of the zodiac, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Dragon display serpentine side winding and concertina movement, at times somersaulting before making steep percussive dives to the underneath of the seas.

As the lead dragon goes to urge the troublesome creatures to exercise restraint, rebellious creatures would cause a battle lasting for hours.

Baxian would shield the lead dragon from any harm while other guarding dragons thrust forcefully to engage with the rebellious creatures.

Other dragons on guard, two above and two below the bowsprit. And two dragons are guarding the stern of the barge.

All the dragons heads are crafted by Jensen Teo for the eye-opening ceremony while the Lead Dragon is produced by Wee Seng Advertising, 89 Jalan Abadi 7, Taman Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka.

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1 3D wordings for Aluminum, Brass, Electro Galvanized and Stainless Steel

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[ 112 ] The presiding deity of the barge journey is OngYah. His palace is on the stern deck.

[ 113 ] A beautiful Chinese palace, wood is the main and only material used to construct his palace since wood can easily adapt different climates.

[ 114 ] OngYah’s palace is built with shapes of squares, round, hexagon and octagon. The traditional Chinese roofs constructed by Thim Chan (Empat or Sei Faat in Cantonese dialect – means getting rich) is an architecture as old as 5,000 years of history. Of China’s 50 UNESCO heritage sites, most are cultural heritages related to architecture.

[ 116 ] Sei Faat (Thim Chan) asked me two questions as a feedback to his strong wish to construct OngYah’s palace roof as a supremacy to the Wangkang Ceremony.

Question One. “ How about a lap-joint? ”

Question Two. “ How about a shorten edge for the second layer? ”

Kok Heng and Thim Chan wanted the rafter-like roofs curved to ward off evil spirits. The main ridge is made from the pine tree on the hip roof. In classic Chinese building code, hip roofs were reserved for public buildings of significance, such as a meeting hall in royal palaces or the chief prayer of hall in big temples.

On the inner side, if you look up, there is a Bagua which is also made from the pine tree.

The barge construction and the barge coloring is regarded as a real art to portray the Wangkang barge as it actually appears in real life. 

Applying Realism Art to the barge the builders and the painter spends a fair amount of time and effort paying attention to creating an accurate depiction of life forms and objects, perspective creating the illusion of reality, good composition, lights and darks, and color and tone.

Color hues, tints, tones and shades is mastermind by Buaya, nickname of a man who has picked up the skill of restoring artefacts.

Ah Teck is the man who has patiently proved to be a loyal servant to the master-builder and the team. Ah Teck main task is to support in finishing and removing scrapes, chips, blocks besides other miscellaneous tasks.

[ 117 ] The iconic dragon is just behind OngYah’s pine wood armrest chair. On his imperial table are the seals, brush, ink holder, judgement stick and so on. A drum on the right side of the palace transmit signals across long distances to chase away evil spirits and welcome the gods. A bell on the left side of the palace is struck to draw the devotion of worshippers. The menshen or the Door Gods guards the doors and the gates of the palace. The window frames of the palace are a replica of the iconic wall frames of the Yong Chuan Tian gateway.

[ Updated Thu 16 July 2020 9:00 am ] 

[ 118 ] These windows on wall of the entrance gateway and a next door bicycle shop (Lian Wah) are objects of evidence to previous Wangkang ceremonies. One could visualize the symmetrical alignment of the windows on wall, the wells, the hawseholes in the deck at this moment in time.

[ 119 ] Hawsehole is a hole in the deck of the barge through which the anchor cable passes and the stock anchor is an object of brain-storming between Jensen Teo and Kok Heng.

They brainstormed on the stock anchor just because both of them wanted to show great attention to details, very careful and precise of every single parts of the barge. For that matter, they discussed about the crown, the arm, the fluke, the palm and the shank of the anchor.

[ 120 ] Immigrant races which have not only made this country their home upon their vessels anchoring here but have also introduced their heritage to the peninsula have proven their abilities to contribute to the prosperity for the whole peninsula.

[ 121 ] The Governor of the Straits Settlements, His Excellency Sir Cecil Clementi realized that wrote a letter to the people of Malacca on the eve of the Wangkang festival.

His Excellency letter is dated 20 th November, 1933 and it was a Monday.

[ 122 ] I told Ken Lai (Note 7) yesterday, “I have wrote to the word ‘anchor’ on [ 120 ] as the 4964 words and I think it is about time for me to continue to write by researching on some relevant sources” I am thankful that Ken Lai give me a copy of The Malacca Guardian.

[ 123 ] Let’s return to the barge after this diversion to explore documented history of the Wangkang Ceremony.

Analysis of the faculty of faith have held that faith as a divine endowment is a school of thought among the four. One cannot have hope without faith.

It is because of faith, the Wangkang barge builders never grow tired. It is because of faith I can’t put my pen down at this moment to write enough for you to appreciate this intangible heritage.

The exciting read of The Malacca Guardian has keep my eyes glued to its pages, more excited when the subjects on painting the “eyes” on both sides of the Wangkang and drawing water from the Sam Po Kong well appears in the detailed programme for public information in 1933.

Ho Siong has told me about the water drawing earlier this year.

[ Updated Sun 19 July 2020 7.25 am ]

[ 124 ] What is the importance of eyes on boat, barge, vessel and ship? Painting eyes on Wangkang is an important ritual often associated with a ceremony to bring to it life.

The most life-like strokes of a Chinese brush come from the eyes and even a single stroke cannot be done casually. Learn this word, KaiKuan and you would know when are the sacred moments when you are at the shipyard during ceremonial rituals.

Would you be surprised to what is typed after here, “All centipedes have eyesight” Centipede eyes are only capable of judging light and dark.

Spot a centipede and expect some good fortune.

Centipede dance has a history of more than one hundred years and this creature is associated with powerful magic portions.

Can you guess how many pairs of legs are there for this centipede in this original raw not curated A-Roll video shoot at 4.25 pm just now?

Video Properties

General: C0017 File Type: MP4 Size: 42.4 MB 7/18/2020 4:25 PM

This A-Roll primary footage directly relates to the moment these men convincingly get the first feel of the nature of the substance for the superlative centipede crawl.

Can you see their thirst for a true classical reflection of the coming ceremony and their body language to have a hankering for a majestic Wangkang.

If you refer to a dictionary, centi- is 0.01 or one hundredth of the stated unit which means 100 but centipede can actually have anywhere from 15 to 177 pairs of legs thus helping them to move at a fast speed.

[ Updated Sun 19 July 2020 5.31 pm ]

[ 125 ] How I knew? I never knew! [ WATCH ]

Judging the first light from the east at 7:25 am just now is a rewarding experience. The cool and serene courtyard of the shipyard is a yardstick for me to calibrate the progressive success and the escalating values of the Wangkang heritage to-date. Well done Yong Chuan Tian!

More than judging light and dark the centipede is capable of, I am pretty lucky to receive what immersive nature has bestowed on me.

The taoist flag is flapping non-stop and reminds me of the tender morning breeze as the promising florid morning sun furtively shines in between the banana leaves.

The balletic climb of the sun is very graceful and controlled while staging scattered lights that filters through leaves and objects in between us.

I am marveled with the sunrise working at about 152 million km from the shipyard to provide energy to living things and non-living things.

The puffy white clouds resembled a dragon releasing its dragon ball.

The shriek, chirping and the tweeting of birds celebrated today's first light like an orchestra to tell us ways to wealth.

Harmony and peace breeds wealth. The majestic GuoAn barge gives me a very secured feelings and we trust, feeling safe, stable and secure is essential to realize a hope. Like the seeds of fruits, the seed for hope is faith.

My second brother, Hian Tat has once enlightened me in 1997 that, "Luck is in your hands, blessing comes from faith and fate is predetermined"

The symbolic start of the coming festival, the bamboo pole Koh Teng is my benchmark to what has been discovered this morning. How I knew? I never knew!

For this Gifts Of Nature, I have to say, "Thank you, Jack Sor"

[ Updated Wed 22 July 2020 2.15 pm ]

[ 126 ] The fore stay sail, the fore sail, fore topsail, main topsail and the main sail are shown to me three days after the ambient morning skies. Soon these sails would be hoisted after they are rigged to the mast.

Filled with air and swelling outwards, the sails would be billowing in the skies of Melaka when the time comes.

This very thought of the barge journey and the sail recollected the sight of billowing clouds which projected a dragon flying with full of energy and life in the clouds. [ see 125 ]

Pulsating with power, tell me who doesn’t enjoy the images of the dragon turbulence within the soft, gray, majestic blue and gold of a sunrise undertone clouds.

If one could see colors represents serenity, calmness, blossoming friendships, sentimental memories and everlasting love, one would consider the kylin, the phoenix, and the dragon as sagacious animals.

In ancient China, these symbols could only be used by the royal family and immortals.

Since Chinese think themselves as the “offspring of the dragon” it is a tradition of the Chinese nation to respect the aged and love the young.

Chinese parents nurture their offspring with love and education, with kindness and strictness, guided by a strong sense of moral responsibility.

As such, the moral responsibility is as wide as the lands and seas, as deep as the ocean beds and as high as the troposphere or thermosphere.

In China, who ignores these moral tenets will not only be criticized by the public but also punishable by law.

[ 127 ] Soliciting the assistance of the deity forces with accorded respect, the barge eyes shall open on the 14th lunar day of the 6 th lunar month of The Rat Year.

The following day the moonrise is expected at 8:08 pm from East South-East from zero altitude and would illuminate at 99.9%

At zero altitude, the sun is expected to set at 7.25 pm and this means we have 43 minutes to observe daylight, darkness and glossy redness. Beauty In Red is a nice song recommended for your listening pleasure in such a scenario.

Let’s hold dearly to the magical twilight even after the sun has gone down.

8 minutes before the moonrise, YB Datuk Tey Kok Kiew (Note 8) will launch the opening of the road arch, the symbol of harmony and peace to the world at large. Warisan Kebangsaan is us, together we are Malaysians. Named after North America’s largest fish, the full moon in August is called the Sturgeon Moon.

[ Updated Tue 28 July 2020 3:36 pm ]

[ 128 ] Springy rebound, rebounded and rebounded in oscillation of the sedan chair roars and darted from the altar towards the foyer.

I just couldn’t describe the twitches of the sedan chair holders and thus I would rather leave this part unexplained.

What a unique cultural heritage? (Note 9)

Close to midnight, OngYah has selected the mandate for YB Datuk Tey Kok Kew with Dato Ronald Gan to fulfil the fixing of the left eye on the port side of the Wangkang.

The starboard eye assembly is granted to Datuk Wira Gan Tian Loo and Mr. Ken Lai followed with eyes fixing of two smaller boats by the others.

The selected ones are required to pay homage to OngYah from the deck continuously from the 14th lunar onto the 15th lunar day of the 6th lunar month.

[ 129 ] Shades of red that we see, compromises with the Rayleigh scattering, gifted the audiences the blues evening skies after the vibrant glow of crimson, red and yellow during transition to dusk.

Before dusk, Roger Sim walks towards the guardrail of Ah Tey Skylift parked on Nora Ee’s vacant land as early as 6:00 pm. Within the guardrail, Ah Kuang is ready to control the vertical ascending and descending and I am checking the shooting focus, while Ah Hock informed us about the fireworks display. Roger told us, “Look at my camera screen, it is blue sky now and it only lasts a few minutes”

Even if you weren’t there, the description of the setting sun can conjure up thoughts and feelings brought on by the Wangkang road arch opening ceremony. We have therefore rotated one daylight on earth.

YB Datuk Tey Kok Kiew, Dato’ Ronald Gan, Datuk Wira 

Gan Tian Loo (Note 10), Ken Lai, Jack Sor, Yew Chye and the team joined hands gesture is a symbol of addressing us the importance of cultural heritage preservation and inspiration for everyone to unleash the love for the memory of mankind before the glossy redness of the arch turn luminance. He unveiled the arch followed by a display of fireworks.

[ Updated Tue 4 Aug 2020 11:59 pm ]

[ 130 ] Beep ... beep … beep … and beeping. The volume of that resounding beeping seemed turning up and getting closer as they stood below the Melaka Gateway arch envisioned by KAJ Development Sdn Bhd.

It is making them exuberant. Really!

Ask Ronald, Yew Chai, Jack Sor, Ho Siong, Chong, and the rest about it.

Next they knew, the resounding beep retreated away from them, keeps resounding, and becomes faint to their ears but yon with the Taoist flag.

Works of celestial deities, the iconic Pulau Melaka is awaiting global discovery for amusement, comfort, fun or adventure. Make friend with a gallivanter and he would picturesque how you could exploit the twin island.

… oomph … a hauler truck dislodged a Mearsk container and the resounding beeps is its back-up alarm, a motion alarm to warn passers-by of a moving vehicle in reverse.

Watch. Even the background music selected is of a Chinese celebrative genre.

A solid seal safeguard the precious Wangkang monument from the port in China to the shores of Melaka Gateway.

The untampered high security bolt seal with the ending four digits 7523 as reflected on the Bill of Lading is kept by the temple.

Three days after, Ms Sim and a QS from KAJ joined Dato’ Ronald Gan to witness the unloading of the Wangkang monument.

As the sky radiance bluer, seeing blue also brings thoughts of trustworthiness to their minds as they walked about on the glittering sands.

Here she comes, Datuk Michelle Ong … her nodding and the corners of her lips turned upwards as people took the opportunity to speak a word or two to Datuk.

Note: The Minister of Transport of China, Yang Chuan Tang has said, “ China is confident in Melaka Gateway’s project, as the location would become an extraordinary Google Maps icon centrally pined on The Silk Road, ancient heritage sea route, assuming a fresh name, One Belt One Road ”

Having observing Melaka for six decades intimately, Malaysia and China can taste the fruits of success gleefully simply by paying attention on this location.

Pardon me, if you don’t catch me why I called this location as The Midas Touch to Melaka and her people.

Babah Dato’ Ronald Gan is being identified during a “celestial deities meeting”, selected and later appointed by OngYah through the oscillating sedan chairs. The appointment has been three years ago, long before anyone on Earth has heard of COVID-19.

This babah is seen here, briefing to an elderly from KAJ Development, the vision maker for Melaka Gateway.

Left To Right: P'ng Yew Chai, Dato' Ronald Gan, Datuk Michelle Ong, (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th KAJ Development), Jack Sor and Ms Sim

Melaka Gateway, Twin Island, Melaka

Monday 24 August 2020 11:05 am

Wangkang Monument Event 勇全殿送王舡記念碑
Image Dimensions 3840 x 2160
Horizontal & Vertical Resolution 350 dpi
Color Representation sRGB
Exposure Time 1/120 sec Focal Length 10 mm
Maximum Aperture 3.265625

[ Updated Tue 25 Aug 2020 11:35 am ]

[ 131 ] Drone helped me last time and again Drone helps me this time to gather aerial photographs of the Wangkang plot for Ronald’s loyal desire to seek OngYah decision on which direction, the monument should face. Watch

A decision has been made by OngYah and five men received the ground-breaking blessing on Saturday 19 September 2020. Watch

 

[ 132 ] “Hanya itu pile caps saya letak aje” “Hanya lima pile cap saya tandakan, lepas itu, saya akan ambil ini gambar kasi lu punya office”, say Mr. Kuan Kam Foo.

Melaka Gateway, Friday 25 September 2020, it was 9:48 when Mr. Kuan spoke to En. Zaidi from CMCS.

Then roughly one minute and 36 seconds on this video https//

Kam Foo say, “Soil Test is a test the soil capacity of the location”

Mackintosh Test collect data on how many blows needed to make one feet penetration. The accumulated data helps in the calculation of the load capacity of the subsoil.

The Wangkang Monument weighs 27 tonnes. Do you know how many tonnes the Wangkang platform can sustain?

I have learned the basic of construction from Mr. Kuan this morning.

[ Updated Fri 25 Sep 2020 6:07 pm ]

[ 133 ] Marching in the shipyard first is Dato' Ronald Gan and then followed by the sedan chair and the usual percussive 'klok klok klok ...' where I see the eighteen silver and eighteen gold weapons are ready to go onboard OngYah's ship.

I never thought it would rain, until I went out of the shipyard for a short break. A member of the temple told me, "It's a good signs that whenever something special is performed on the barge, it rains." I remember that day when the Mazu lamp was erected and another day when the barge was made 'afloat' in the 'dock', it rains also.

Well, how can I expect the rain in the evening after watching the soil probe men under scorching hot sun earlier today.

 [ Updated Fri 25 Sep 2020 11:00 pm ]

[ 134 ] A Honda CRV slowly steered into Yong Chuan Tian's courtyard and they are from the Unit Promosi Pelancongan of the Jabatan Ketua Menteri.

En. Sa'ari bin Basiron and Ms Lim got off the car, and they are being greeted by Dato' Ronald Gan, Ken Lai, Yew Chai and Jack Sor.

After they talked about how to make the hand-puppet show into a product of attraction, they moved on to the Wangkan shipyard.

Dato' Ronald Gan delivered a comprehensive description of Wangkang to En. Sa'ari bin Basiron. Watch

En. Sa'ari bin Basiron penned his wishes for the Wangkang Ceremony in the meeting hall of Wangkang Museum and he wrote in Malay language, "Semoga Perayaan Wangkang Berjaya"

[ Updated Thu 1 Oct 2020 10:00 ]

王舡制作团队:

吴国兴   郑春桦   王进德   李添振    张正煌

王舡(国安號)制作团队

The Director: Dato’ Ronald Gan

The Deputy Director: Mr. Ken Lai

The Secretary: Mr. Jack Sor

The Chair Person: Mr. Png Yew Chai

The Master-Builder: Mr. Goh Kok Heng

The assisting Master-Builder: Mr. Lee Thim Chan

The Senior Builder: Mr. Tee Choon Hua

The Junior Builder: Mr. Jensen Teo

The General Builder: Mr. Ong Chin Teck

The Master Painter: Mr. Koh Kim Guan

Notes

1 - This site is founded by Tay Kie Ki in 1645.

2 - A bridge is named after him, and this bridge connects Jalan Kampong Pantei, Jalan Bunga Raya and Jalan Laksamana.

3 - He is the fore father of a road name after Ong Kim Wee and this road connects Jalan Hang Tuah, to Kota Laksamana.

4 - A legal practitioner, he is also the chairman of the Baba and Nyonya Association, Malaysia and he is a recipient of the D.I.M.P. honored by the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah which carries the title, Dato'

5 - Pulau Melaka. A twin island city on the Silk Road and a picturesque of the Straits of Melaka.

6 - Png Yew Chai is the longest serving committee of the temple.

7 - A chartered accountant, he had worked with Ernst and Young.

8 - YB Datuk Tey Kok Kiew, a Melaka State Legislative Assemblyman and a constituency representative for N22. He is conferred the title, Datuk, by the former governor, Tun Datuk Seri Utama Dr. Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob.

9 – Purposes Consideration :

Monuments – architectural works, sculpture and painting, inscriptions, elements or structures of archaeological nature, which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science;

Groups of buildings – groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science;

Sites – works of man or the combined works of nature and of man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological points of view.

(In UNESCO’s Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 1972)

The belief systems, values, philosophical systems, knowledge, behaviors, customs, arts, history, experience, languages, social relationships, institutions, and material goods and creations belonging to a group of people and transmitted from one generation to another.

The group of people or society may be bound together by race, age, ethnicity, language, national origin, religion, or other social categories or grouping.

Cultural heritage includes all the properties that remain from past generations. Such properties demonstrate human beings’ development throughout history, by studying how cultural identity and cultural path are recognized and by creating a means of learning from the past.

10 Datuk Wira Gan Tian Loo is the Jonker Walk Management Deputy Chairman and this street is so far the only street which bring life to Melaka. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is on this street. A 4th generation Chinese born overseas, he is in charge of business cooperation with China.

Historic Timeline

Y	M	D	Day	Sub	Tag
2019	10	07	Mon	PineTree	0:34
2019	10	08	Tue	Tent	0:43
2019	10	10	Thu	Signs	0:00

noun – a film or television or radio programme that provides a factual report on a particular subject.

Documentary is Jilu in Chinese.

A documentary film is a non-fictional, motion picture intended to “document reality, primary for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record. Documentary has been described as “a film making practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries”.

Over time, documentaries have evolved to be longer in length, and to include more categories; some examples being: educational, observational, and docufiction.

Documentaries are meant to be informative works, and are often used within schools, as a resource to teach various principles.

Social media platforms, such as YouTube, have provided an avenue for the growth of the documentary film genre.

A documentary film differs from an Intro Video. An Intro Video is the opening of a video and an Outro Video is the closing part.