Siang Theon, a ritual home and a home of rituals.

• Main Author: Tay, Eugene Jin Tian.
• Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences; DRNTU::Humanities::Religions::Buddhism
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44089
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

善堂, also known as shantang, Charity Halls, or Siang Theon has been organized to commemorate the work of 宋大峰祖师1，Saint Song Da Feng, who was known to have lived in the Song Dynasty and did a lot of charitable work for the people in the 潮汕 or Teochew-Swatow area in China. The work of the Siang Theon is as such: To continue the charitable acts. One such way is in performing the funeral rites for the recently departed. When the Teochews immigrated to Singapore, some of them got together and organized Siang Theons, and 南安善堂Nam Ann Siang Theon was one of them. In this essay, I will look at the cultural and religious role that Siang Theon plays in the life of the performers of the funeral rites.