Tatung: Protecting the Spirit of Acculturation for Centuries
Tatung is the Hakka Chinese word for a person possessed by gods or ancestral spirits, apparently making him resistant to pain. It is a reflection of Chinese-Dayak acculturation.
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A tatung (shaman) in traditional costume rides a litter during the parade of tatung on 19 Feb. 2019 at the Cap Go Meh Festival in Singkawang, West Kalimantan. Tatung are known as spiritual healers.
The Cap Go Meh celebration in Singkawang, West Kalimantan, would not be what it is without the tatung parade. Tatung is the Hakka Chinese word for a person possessed by gods or ancestral spirits, apparently making him resistant to pain. It is a reflection of Chinese-Dayak acculturation.
The aroma of incense sticks filled the room at the Cetiya Chau Liu Nyian Shai in Singkawang on Wednesday (5/2/2020) evening. Hendry Frans Wong, 25, a tatung and traditional healer, was treating a patient. Almost every day, he receives ailing people wanting to get better.