Thai Popular Amulets

The above mini statue is 2nd batch and made in B.E.2500. The year B.E. 2500 is a very important year of Buddhism because it's the first half of the 5,000 years age of the religion. Tai Hong Kong Shrine made the amulet pendant in memory for that important occasion. The essence holy metal of Somdej Phra Sangkharaj(Pae)'s Phra Kring was given by Wat Suthat to melt with the raw bronze for casting the holy mini statue. The blessing ceremony conducted by both Thai and Chinese Guru monks.   

Tai Hong Kong or Tai Hong Chow Sue was a Chinese monk living in Song Dynasty, some 900 years ago. His layman name was Ek Sae Lim.  He was a native of Tia Yia, Canton Province, and a learned man who became a sheriff. He later ordained a Buddhist monk and made a pilgrimage to help people in many places. He raised up fund help the poor and the people who faced with disasters. One of his routine work was picking up the non-relative poor's body and brought them to funeral ceremony. He later went to Fujian Province to help build a great bridge for troubling people.

His good merit ignited the establishment of many relief foundations in China, one of the most wellknown is Po Teck Tung Foundation. This foundation also established in Thailand in the year B.E.2453 and raised up fund from immigrant Chinese to help the poor and relieve disaster to all people with non-discrimination in races and sects. The foundation is still exist nowadays, its name is Hua Kiaw Po Teck Tung Foundation which is the Thailand's biggest relief foundation. Tai Hong Kong Shrine is situated at Chinatown in Bangkok.

Chinese in Thailand know Tai Hong Kong very well. If they want to make a donation, they will think of Tai Hong Kong or Hua Kiaw Po Teck Tung Foundation first. A lot of Chinese make a merit of donation to extend their
lives by buying coffins donated to Tai Hong Kong. These coffins are for the non-relative dead. 

I was born in Chinatown's outskirt--a son of Chinese parents. Just 15 minutes walk from my home I will reach Tai Hong Kong Shrine, and a few minutes more I will reach central area of Chinatown. So I know Tai Hong Kong since I was 10 years of age. When I was young, the old-time Bangkok were full of row wooden houses in which a lot of first generation Chinese lived. Fire often happened and burnt those good fuel homesteads. Many houses that had Tai Hong Kong's Yant(Hoo) posted over the main door were safe from fire. There were miracle events often recounted in among Chinese that Tai Hong Kong helped disastrous people with his big body standing on the fire furor and trying to extinquish it. Once I heard an old Chinese man murmured in Teochiew dialect while watching a blaze, he was pointing up to the hugh flame, " Ah Kong....Ah Kong Toh Jia Sia Hoo...." ( = Tai Hong Kong is helping here). 

The very impressive thing I never forget is the fastest relief services given by Po Teck Tung Foundation which is under Tai Hong Kong's kind flag. While the fire was still madly burning, the rice and food were immediately prepared in a very short period of time and ready to serve disastrous people at the fire site, then followed by many other helps after the fire was extinguished.     

Old Chinese give their faith to Tai Hong Kong on protecting from all catatrophe. Travelling by bus, plane or ship, they like to wear Tai Hong Kong amulet for efficacious protection. 

On important occasions such as Chinese New Year or yearly vegetable-eating period (Kao Uang Jae-Teochiew), the Tai Hong Kong Shrine are crowded with Chinese who come to pay respect to his holy statue.

The shrine released the 1st batch mini statue of the Tai Hong Kong in B.E.2493. Now in the amulet market, the cost of the amulet runs between 4 figures to 5 figures in Baht. But there are cheaper of later-batch pendants such as B.E.2497, 2500, 2513, 2518, 2525, 2527 etc.