A match made by god at Yueh Hai Ching Temple

SINGAPORE — It was jackpot on the first try for a couple looking for true love with the help of the Chinese god of matchmatching at Singapore’s oldest Teochew temple, Yueh Hai Ching Temple.

To express their gratitude, Mr Mah Chun How, 34, and Ms Kang Say See, 29, tied the knot at the temple on Philip Street on Thursday (Sept 15), on the birthday of the Chinese love deity, Yue Lao, which coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Although the pair met two years ago through their relatives, Mr Mah believes it was the prayer they had separately made to Yue Lao at the same temple that sealed the match.

The software engineer had prayed to find a wife in January that year, and Ms Kang made her wish a month later. They were introduced by relatives in April and were dating soon after — initially without the knowledge they had both prayed to the same deity.

During one of their first date nights, Mr Mah noticed that Ms Kang’s hands were stained with red ink. “She told me it was residue left over from her holding joss sticks that day. I asked (her) which temple she went to, and she said, ‘A temple in Raffles Place’. I thought ‘No way!’,” said Mr Mah in Mandarin.

After more questions, Mr Mah discovered that she had gone to the temple at Philip Street to thank Yue Lao for blessing her with a boyfriend. It was then that he confessed that he, too, had recently prayed to the same Yue Lao.

Unlike Mr Mah, who had been a regular worshipper at the temple since he came to Singapore from Malaysia in 2001, Ms Kang heard about the temple from her friends.

The Perak-born accounts assistant had one relationship before, which did not work out, and one of her friends told her to try her luck by praying to Yue Lao — portrayed in Chinese folklore as an old man who unites all predestined couples with a silken cord. 

Although there are at least three other temples in Singapore with the love deity, the Yue Lao at Yueh Hai Ching Temple is the most reputable for its high success rates with love and marriages. So for S$6, Ms Kang bought a prayer pack at the temple to pray for a boyfriend. It included a red thread that was to be placed over Yue Lao’s neck, some joss sticks and a paper to indicate her name.

With the deity playing such a crucial role in their union, Mr Mah and Ms Kang chose the temple for their solemnisation.

They were the first couple to solemnise their marriage in the 19th-century temple after the completion of its restoration in 2013.

Chairman of the Ngee Ann Kongsi’s Temple & Prayers Sub-Committee, Mr Lee Sean Wah, said: “I found (the request) most unusual and told them there are no monks in Yueh Hai Ching Temple. However our deities will bless them a happy marriage.” He was referring to a common practice where some temples have their monks give their blessings in a wedding. 

He added: “After they told me their story, we found it fascinating and are delighted to facilitate the ceremony… After all, Yue Lao could be said to be the most ancient matchmaker!”

The Ngee Ann Kongsi had been the custodian of the temple since 1845. The temple was said to have started from a hut in the 1820s, and is home to deities like Xuan Tian Shang Di, Mazu and Zhu Sheng Niang Niang, who is believed to bless couples with children.  

Asked if they would be praying to Zhu Sheng Niang Niang for a baby, Mr Mah said: “Right after this.”