Monkey God Tree, Jurong WestQuek Chwee Lian, 73, retiredThe Monkey God Tree at Jurong West Street 42 was a celebrity among lucky trees in 2007, when it was firstdiscovered to have two monkey-like forms on its trunk. Eight years on, Madam Quek is still a frequent visitor, andspends so much time there that she could be called an informal caretaker.The tree, an African Mahogany, got its name and reputation from a portion of its bark that had been scraped offafter a car accident. The bark revealed the outlines of two monkeys — one larger than the other — on the trunk.Devotees flocked from all over the island to offer prayers to what they believed to be a manifestation of the TaoistMonkey God, or the Hanuman in Hinduism, praying for good luck and in a lot of cases, lottery wins.While the number of worshippers dwindled after a year or so, Madam Quek still comes on foot regularly from herhome a few blocks away, tidying the little shrine, even spreading extra tiles to make the area seem more puttogether. On why she offers this service, she says, “This is a beautiful tree, I feel that we are fated to be together.”One line at the back of postcard:No.18Monkey God Tree, Jurong West
