This incense burner was used on the altar dedicated to Da Bo Gong/Tua Pek Gong (大伯公), who is revered as a tutelary deity and god of prosperity. The altar was set up during Zhongyuan Jie (中元节, also popularly known as the Hungry Ghost Festival) by the Hougang Sixth Mile Stone 7th Month Committee (后港六条石大公司中元会). The committee was purportedly set up in the early 1940s and continued to organise mass prayers and present offerings to the spirits of the deceased annually until 2022 (when the committee disbanded due to the old age of many members). The committee was originally formed by business owners and residents who worked and lived near the Simon Road market located at “Hougang sixth milestone”. The market was built in 1948 and ceased operations in 1999. “Hougang sixth milestone” was used by residents to refer to the area around the junction of Flower Road and Upper Serangoon Road.
