Sin Sze Si Ya is a local deity originated from Peninsular Malaysia. The two deities worshiped in this temple are Kapitan Seng Meng Lee (Sin Si Ya) and Yap Sze (Sze Si Ya). A dispute over taxation rights in Sungai Ujong led to armed fighting between two Malay chieftains in 1859. Kapitan Seng Meng Lee was involved in the fight and was killed in 1861. It was believed that white blood flowed from his neck. In 1864, Yap Ah Loy invited the spirit of Seng Meng Lee to Kuala Lumpur to be worshipped. In 1873, a temple was built for this purpose. Yap Sze came from Xin’an county, Fui Chiu district, Guangdong province, China. He used to operate tin mines in Lukut, and then went to Kuala Lumpur with Hiu Siew to establish the “Three Trading House “. He was close with Yap Ah Loy and even gave up the offer as the third Chinese Kapitan Kuala Lumpur to Yap Ah Loy. During the Selangor Civil War, he sent his followers to assist Yap Ah Loy. He was attacked by Chong Chong and the Ka Ying Hakka, and died on 5, 1869. After his death, he was buried by Yap Ah Loy and was worshipped as Sze Si Ya. Sin Sze Si Ya turns the spirit of unity of the Fui Chiu people into a belief that crosses dialect groups and becomes a symbol of local culture.

The identity of Sin Sze Si Ya has various interpretations in the academic community and among the Si Ya Temples in Peninsular Malaysia. Our museum only represents the perspective of this temple on this matter. However, regardless of the diverse views on the identity of Sin Sze Si Ya, Seng Meng Lee continues to play a significant role in the belief of Sin Sze Si Ya, serving as a deity that blesses and protects his subject.

The God of Wisdom (Wenchang Dijun), is a deity who protects literary and examination luck. “Wenchang” was originally the name of an astrological star, also known as Megrez or the Star of Literary. Later, three deities namely Wenchang, Zitong (Zhang Yazi), and the King of Shu (Zhang Yu) combined to become the God of Wisdom worshipped by Taoists. At Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, many students will come to worship the God of Wisdom during the examination period. Offerings with symbolic meaning are served, for example green onions (wisdom), Chinese cabbage (good luck), parsley (hardworking), cooking oil (lucky), cakes and dumplings (top in exams), and garlic (good at figures). Worshippers will write the name of candidates and school, examination centre, exam time and subject details on a red paper to pray for the blessings of God of Wisdom to succeed in the exam.

Tam Kung Deity, formerly known as Tan Qiao, was a native of Guishan in Guangdong province during the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty. He attained immortality at the age of 12, and therefore his statue maintains the shape of a child. According to legend, after Tam Kung attained immortality, he possessed magical and healing powers, as well as to control weather. Thus, the residents along the coast of the Huidong area regarded him as the “Deity of Sea” and became the protector of fishermen. Tam Kung became a part of the local Hakka belief culture. Therefore, Tam Kung was also enshrined in the main hall of this temple.

Wah Kong Deity (God of Performance Arts), is one of the Four Saints of Taoism who protects the Dharma. His original name is Ma Ling Yao, had three eyes and possessed the power of fire. Cantonese opera troupes usually worship Wah Kong deity as the patron. This is because deity Wah Kong once saved a Cantonese opera troupe from the wrath of The Jade Emperor by trickery.

The Deity of Prosperity, commonly known as the God of the Land, Tua Pek Kong, and Fu De deity. The image of the Deity of Prosperity is generally an old man with beard, wearing a government official headgear, holding a gold ingot and a staff. The God of Prosperity that appears in different places, may have different images and functions. His main responsibility is to take care the peace of the land and bless his people.

The God of Wealth, also known as the God of Good Fortune. According to legend, the God of Wealth was Li Guizu of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He was a virtuous, honest and generous magistrate of Quliang County, who donated his salary to the poor. After he died, people built a temple to worship him. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, he was worshipped as “Caibo Xingjun”. His appearance is like a rich man in red robe with a jade belt, wearing an officer’s hat, holding a Ruyi Jade in his left hand and a treasure bowl in his right hand. As one of the God of Wealth, he is responsible for the distribution of the currency in the world.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, which means “observing the voice of the human heart and saving those in distress”, is one of the most famous Bodhisattvas in Buddhism. She is compassionate and merciful, sympathetic to all living beings, hearing pleas to ease suffering, and embodies various deity images. She was also known as the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) in Chinese folklore. The Chinese devotees also worship Guanyin at home. There are parents who offer their children to Guanyin for adoption, in order to gain protection from her.

The Goddess of Beauty is the goddess of Cantonese belief. There are several legends about the life of the Goddess of Beauty. According to legend, she is a love fairy and brings youth and wisdom to women. It is also said that she was a singer and was viewed as the patron of sexworkers after she died. The Goddess of Beauty is a goddess who blesses women with the beauty of youth and enhances their popularity with others. Therefore, the offerings for Goddess of Beauty are: flowers, florida water, and cosmetics.

Goddess of Fertility, the protector of women and babies in the Guangdong region, China. It is said that in the Ming Dynasty, there was a girl named “Jin Hua” who was proficient in witchcraft since childhood. One day, she died of drowning, but her body was still in good condition and gave off a fragrance after several days of death. After that, a statue appeared at the place of death, which looked like Jin Hua, and people thought it was a miracle, so they built a temple to worship her, and she became known as the Goddess of Fertility. There are many married couples who come to Sin Sze Si Ya temple to worship the Goddess of Fertility for pregnancy. Couples who want to have children should choose a day to bring flowers and fruits to pray. White flowers represent boys and red flowers represent girls. After the prayer ceremony, the couple was asked to eat the fruits that were brought and bring the flowers back home. If successful in having a child, the couple has to show appreciation to the Goddess with an offering. When celebrating the baby’s first full month, couples have to prepare red eggs, sour ginger and a chicken to the Goddess of Fertility.

There are 60 God of the Year who take care of human affairs and fate in turn, so 60 years is a cycle. Every year, anyone whose birth year and Chinese zodiac conflict with the deity in charge, has to make an offering. Around the beginning of the Chinese New Year, devotees will go to Sin Sze Si Ya Temple to worship the God of the Year, to prevent calamity and be blessed with good health. One has to write the date of birth on the talisman, light the candles and incense, then ask the temple guardian to recite the spell, and finally burn the joss papers.

Heroes who died in the Selangor Civil War from 1865 to 1873 during the leadership of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy were worshipped in the Heroic Hall. He dedicated a tablet with the words “Royal Martyrs of the Qing Dynasty” to console the fallen souls. It is hoped that future generations will remember these brave martyrs in the Si Ya Temple. On the 29th day of the 3rd month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the Memorial Day of the Heroic Martyrs.

This temple’s God of Wealth is a deity worshiped for his filial piety to parents. It is said that his original name is Weng Dinglan, which is found in the book “The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars”. Because he missed his parents too much, he carved a wooden statue in the image of his parents as a memorial. He was then enthroned as a Filial Piety Deity in the underworld. He had red tears, dressed in mourning, and hung a bag containing “Ten Thousand Taels of Gold”. He is considered the God of Wealth because his hat reads “get rich at first sight” and devotees will pray for prosperity from him.

The White Tiger Deity is the general under the God of Wealth (Zhao Gong Ming). With his ferocious image, the White Tiger has been elevated as a deity with a supernatural power in Chinese belief. He has the ability to protect temples and homes, as well as to bless wealth and fortune. On Awakening of Insects Day, which is between 5-6 March, all creatures come out of hibernation, including tigers. Believers fear that tigers will threaten human safety, so choose that day to worship the White Tiger Deity. At the same time, the villain hitting ritual is also carried out in order to stay away from the threat of enemies throughout the year.