Ushering the New Year with new trends (Part 2)

This is the second part of the post at: Ushering the New Year with new trends (Part 1) .Some updates on my monkey cup plant. The plant has sprouts of numerous baby cups since Chinese New Year.

Also, I have been waiting for the delivery of my lingzhi plant. This mushroom has also been turned into a Chinese New Year auspicious decorative plant because it is considered by the Chinese as the sacred fungus of immortality that has miraculous health benefits. It symbolizes good health and longevity. These mini, indoor plants, priced at RM38 each and available at nurseries are easy to care for. They just need a daily spray of water on the back surface of the mushroom.


It is scientifically proven that lingzhi or Ganoderma lucidum increases microcirculations of blood, has the effect of clearing radicals and improves the body immune system.

A Garden of Lanterns

Chinese New Year has never been more interesting with an exhibition of lanterns at the Tambun Kwan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple in Ipoh. The 20-day event, which was organised by the temple began on the 21st January 2009 just before the Lunar new year began. The lanterns featured were gigantic characters of Chinese deities, zodiac animals and based on Chinese literary themes. Named as the Tambun Kwan Yin Giant Lantern Expo 2009, visitors might also take the opportunity to join a karaoke singing contest and lucky draw as well as witnessing a talented painter at work. The colourful lanterns and the beautifully lit atmosphere had certainly made the long journey (at the edge of town) worthwhile for shutterbugs and children alike.

The attractive grand gate

Rows of red lanterns leading to the entrance

The 8-metre tall giant lantern

Lanterns of the 12 zodiac animals:(From R to L) Mickey, Tigger, Bugs Bunny, Draco, Viper, Shadowfax, Billy, Aboo, Chicken Little, Lassie and Babe welcoming The Ox.

Under the sea

Serene storks

In the garden



Flower power!

Talented artist at work: A painting of Kwan Yin

Handicrafts corner

Beautifully-lit tree

Legend has it, Kwan Yin was a princess and a daughter of a cruel king. She was punished harshly by her father for disobeying his wishes to marry a suitor of his choice as she was more concerned with the sufferings of her people. Ironically, she tried to save his life when he fell ill. She made a sacrifice for his healing to God. God was touched and turned the king into an ox and her into the Goddess of Mercy to watch over the sufferings of the world. To avoid her father of being slaughtered, she requested her people not to eat beef. Perhaps that is the reason behind why Buddhists do not take beef till this day.

Kwan Yin (Goddess of Mercy)

The story started where there was a boy who lived with his mother. He was a woodcutter. Although his mother sent lunch to him daily, he treated her badly. One day as he was taking a break, he saw a mother bird feeding her chicks in a nest up a tree. As he observed this, he realised that his mother actually loved and cared for him very much that she brought food to him everyday without fail. From that moment, he decided to appreciate her more. So the next day when his mother came to bring him lunch, he ran to greet his mother with all the happiness in his heart. When she saw him running towards her, she thought that he was going to beat her again and so she ran. Unfortunately, she tripped over a stone and fell to her death. After his mother's passing, he was in an unkempt state as he cried daily without a care for himself. Seeing this, God took pity on him for his filial piety and made him into God of Wealth. One of the stories my mother would tell me in my childhood days.

Sometimes, you will see a statue of him in this state in the temples, with dishevelled clothes and hair and a tear-stained face holding a fan. I have seen him.

The God of Wealth

The legend of the Journey to the West is a very popular Chinese folklore and has been depicted in various versions through books and in movies. It tells of a tale of a Buddhist monk assigned to a task by Kwan Yin to acquire a certain Buddhist scripture in India. Together on this journey were his protectors, the Monkey God, a pig and a sand demon. They have agreed to protect him on this perilous journey for the atonement of their past sins. They also acted as his disciples as the monk would guide them when they gave in to their sinful desires or save their skins when troubles arose from their mischievious pranks. There were many dangers along the way such as the spider demon, the white-boned demon, the buffalo- king demon and the iron-fan princess, just to name the infamous ones. They were waiting to devour the monk as the flesh of monks is believed to be most sweet, tender and succulent.

Journey to the West: Let us through!

Ushering the New Year with new trends (Part 1)

Blooms of chrysanthemums, stalks of plum blossoms, pots of lucky bamboos and money plants. All these decorations mark the arrival of the lunar new year. As the year of the Earth Ox 'moo-ves' in on the 26th January 2009 of the Gregorian calendar, various ornaments and plants deemed lucky and auspicious are being used as decorations to welcome a bountiful and prosperous year ahead. Besides the traditional adornment of red lanterns, Spring couplets (chinese calligraphy written on red papers) and potted lime trees, new practices are being introduced to jazz up good tidings for the new year.

The arrow head plant (Sagittaria sagittifolia L.) is a water plant that gives edible round tubers or bulbs. It is a temperate, flowering plant that can be found in wetlands of Europe and Asia. It is called arrow head because of the shape of its leaves. The bulbs, particularly eaten during Chinese New Year, are cream-coloured, crunchier than potatoes, have a starchy texture and a unique pungent taste. They are peeled, sliced and deep-fried to make irresistible arrow head chips or stir-fried wih pork or waxed meat to make a savoury Chinese New Year dish. Sprinkle with salt, the chips taste even better than potato chips! It is said that these bulbs contain alginic acid that helps rid the body of excess salt. The bulbs, when placed into water, can germinate into a delicate arrow head plant that serves as a beautiful indoor Chinese New Year decoration. A kilogramme of the bulbs ranges from RM2 to RM4 and they are available at wet markets and supermarkets.

An arrow head bulb: Ready to be cooked or planted

Arrow head slices stir-fried with waxed meat.

Golden, delicious crunch: My mom's arrow head chips.
The unsalted variety for the health conscious.

At the altar: A nicely germinated plant

Close-up view: Roots among pebbles

Monkey cup or tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes) is a carnivourous plant that attracts insects with the water stores in the 'cups' or 'pitchers' with lids at the end of the leaves. Monkeys were seen drinking from the cups and hence the name. Recently, the monkey cup has become a popular plant for the Chinese New Year, symbolising the abundance of wealth with the 'water-filled jugs'. The price of a plant depends on the plant size as well as the number of cups a plant has. The more cups it has, the more costly it is. The price can range from RM23 to RM35 per plant and they are available at nurseries.

To care for the plant is easy; simply hang the vine-climbing plant under a shade or a partly lit area and fill all cups with a quarter of fresh water once a month. These will suffice as too much or direct sun will dry the leaves and the water will last for that period if the plant is not watered enough.

My monkey cups

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittaria_sagittifolia
http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetablebackissues/01.shtml

*The writer wishes all blog-readers an abundance of health, wealth and happiness in the coming new year. Gong Xi Fa Cai!