Every year, the Chinese community in Paku Bazaar and its neighbouring villages extend their New Year celebrations with the Thian Chuan Day religious procession. Rooted in Hakka tradition, this vibrant event honours ancient legends, preserves cultural heritage, and attracts visitors from near and far.
Preserving cultural and religious heritage as tourist attractions
THE Chinese New Year celebrations officially concluded on Chap Goh Mei, the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. However, for the Chinese community in Paku Bazaar and its surrounding villages in the Bau District, the festivities did not truly end until the Annual Religious Procession held on the 20th day, known as Thian Chuan Day.
This ancient and rare festival of the Hakka community has been preserved here for generations.
According to legend, this day commemorates a time when the water god and the fire god fought, creating a significant hole in the sky. To prevent disaster, Goddess Nuwa refined fivecoloured stones to repair the sky.
The Hakka people, grateful for her intervention, honour this event as Thian Chuan Day. Traditionally, on Thian Chuan Day, men refrain from farming, and women abstain from weaving.
Farmers and labourers working at construction sites and quarries in Paku typically take the day off to observe the celebration.
Families gather for lunch or dinner on this day, finishing off the remaining Chinese New Year goodies and nian gao (Chinese New Year cake) to officially mark the end of the festivities.
The Procession
The religious procession, organised by the management committee of the century-old Tai Shin Jar Temple with support from devotees in Paku, Bau, and Kuching, began at the temple around 9 am on Monday, February 17.
Organising chairman Kapitan Pui Shak Sin explained that this annual religious and cultural event symbolised blessings, peace, and prosperity for all.
The parade featured the medium of the deity Tai Shin Jar, as well as lion and dragon dance troupes, percussion bands and devotees carrying joss sticks.
The event commenced after the medium entered a trance and was carried on a sedan chair, which had knife blades as a backrest, footrest and handrail.
The procession wound through the streets of Paku Bazaar, visiting four other temples in the area: Shui De Xing Jun Temple, Xuan Tian Shang Di Temple, Bai Yun Shan Temple, and Shak Bong Kung Temple. It also passed two quarries and the Jambusan Bazaar (approximately 4 km from Paku) before returning to the Tai Shin Jar Temple around noon. Devotees and visitors of all races gathered along the route and stopping points to witness the procession.
At each stopping point, the medium would descend from the sedan chair and perform rituals at the temples and tables with offerings prepared by devotees. He also prepared talismans, which were believed to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and misfortune. At night, a spectacular parade of illuminated floats lit up the streets, showcasing stunning decorations and their religious significance. This colourful procession attracted many visitors from near and far, including those from Kuching.
History of Paku Bazaar
Paku, located about 5 km from Bau town, has existed since the 19th century as a gold mining settlement established by Chinese miners arriving from China via Kuching, as well as from Kalimantan through Bau. Paku served as the Bau District’s first government administrative centre (District Office) and was home to the first Chinese primary school in the district, Han Min School.
During the peak of gold mining activities, there were approximately 80 attap shophouses in the area. However, a devastating fire around 1920 completely razed them. Today, only six wooden and semi-concrete double-storey shophouses remain, with one additional concrete unitcurrently under construction
Preserving religious and cultural heritage as tourist attractions
The Tai Shin Jar Temple, the main temple in Paku, was originally built in 1887 and underwent reconstruction in 1985. Two major religious events draw visitors to Paku: Thian Chuan Day and the deity’s birthday celebration, which falls on the 18th day of the 8th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
Devotees also regularly visit the temple on the 1st and 15th of each Lunar Calendar month and during various Chinese festivals to pray and make offerings to the deity. The oldest temple, Xuan Tian Shang Di Temple, located about a kilometre from Paku Bazaar, was first built in 1882 and was reconstructed in concrete in 1974.
Last year, the temple received a fresh coat of paint, and the old murals were restored by renowned local mural artist Fook Liew.
The temple now features ten murals adorning its inner walls and exterior, a project that took Liew several months to complete just before the recent Chinese New Year.
The Shak Bong Kung Temple, situated in front of the Paku Rock Maze Garden, also attracts numerous visitors, some of whom offer prayers and donations after visiting the garden.
The Rock Maze Garden has become a major attraction in Paku, drawing tourists from across Sarawak and beyond.
A recent addition to Paku’s attractions is the Bai Yun San Temple, inaugurated on January 6. Built in traditional architectural style, the temple features an impressive set of 12 stone sculptures representing the Chinese zodiac animals, making it the latest highlight for visitors.
