This 'Ting Kong' lantern, or ‘Ting Kong teng’ in Hokkein, was hung in front of a temple. Smaller Ting Kong lanterns would have been hung prominently above door plaques in front of the main entrance to a Peranakan Chinese ancestral house. Ting Kong lanterns were used in worship of Ting Kong (天公)—the Heavenly Grandfather—the Chinese folk name of the Jade Emperor. Ting Kong is one of the most important deities worshipped by the Peranakan Chinese. As the reigning deity in the celestial realm of Heaven, Ting Kong was present in many of life’s important rituals, namely the ‘chiu tau’ or coming-of-age ritual. He is the principal witness to the sacred vows that a young man and maiden make before they get married.
