CELEBRATION BEGINS: Devotees worship the Jade Emperor God at the stroke of midnight.
SEEKING BLESSINGS: Devotees make their offerings.
AN OFFERING: A woman places her offerings on the sugar cane.
LIGHTING THE SKY: Fireworks fill the night sky.
FOR LUCK: Devotees take longevity noodles and fruits.
SIBU: More than 1,000 devotees of the Jade Emperor God turned up at the Tua Pek Kong temple just before midnight on Sunday to worship the deity.
Temple general affairs director Soon Choon Kui said the number was based on incense sticks used during the event.
At the stroke of midnight, devotees displayed sugar cane at prominent places around the temple as offerings.
Soon said the celebration has been practised for thousands of years as a way to give thanks for the many blessings showered by the deity.
“There are many things to be thankful for, especially for health and for business.
“They took the opportunity to thank the deity for the good business during the previous year, and to pray for good business in the year ahead,” he said.
Devotees brought their own offerings, which included roast pork, fruits, steamed chicken and packet drinks.
The temple also provided some food for offerings such as longevity buns and longevity noodles.
Devotees brought these items home after the worship as it is believed that eating the offerings would be a blessing.
The celebration, which is also known as the Feast of the Sugar Cane, falls on the ninth day of Chinese New Year.
According to legend, the Chinese living by the coast in Southern China were attacked by bandits from the sea on this night.
The whole community ran into a sugar cane plantation for cover and offered prayers to the Jade Emperor God for protection.
The sugar cane covered them and they were saved from attack.