Its Qing Ming (清明) Again...

Date:  Apr 7, 2012

For so many years I came to pay respect to my dad, I never notice this.  My dad's grave is actually facing SOUTH.  This is very interesting.  Hmmm.....  Let's talk about this in a while at the later part of this blog, it is kind of interesting!   :)

Yesterday, I went into JB for Qing Ming.  7AM in the morning, I took a look at Traffic condition at Causeway Link.  And the jam has started from BKE, and the whole causeway link is jam with cars.  So, I took a quick peek at Tuas Link, the traffic is mooth before the custom, and there is no cars on the bridge.  So, I quickly asked my wife to pack all stuffs and go into JB.

Well, it is pointless to look at the traffic condition camera at Tuas, because, although there is no cars before and on the bridge, it does not mean that there is no car after the bridge.  When we passed thru the custom, we saw the traffic has been building up there.  And we were stucked in this jam for 2 hours.  It sucks!  HaHaHaHa.  The jam later is moving at 1KM per hour.

So, since it is a standstill jam, so, I took my time to read a book which recently I just watch the movie.  And this traffic jam at Tuas, allows me finished 45% of the story.

Finally, after three and a half hours later, after picked up my brother and my mom, we arrived at the grave yard.  The cemetery is at Kong Kong, Masai.

Where is Komg Kong, Masai?  Here it is.

This is my dad.  He passed away when I was 19.

It's has become a routine.  Jay Jay understand what is cleaning the tomb is about.

This year, Jay Jay did a lot of cleaning.  He mob the tomb plate.

He cleans the surface.  Basically, the tomb is quite clean.  So, every year, we just fill in more stones, put new flowers.

Even clean and pluck all the grass.

OK!  Dad!  All clean!  Wish us lots of luck and health for 2012.

Alright.  Now, back to the topic of which direction should the grave be facing.  According to most of the Cristian Cemetery, the Cristians mostly face the graves towards the EAST.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_graves_always_facing_east_in_cemeteries

I quoted here...

Many followers of Christianity state that graves face east because that's where Jesus will return from. The Bible makes no direct mention of the direction which Christ is expected to arrive from but does contain the following verses;
"Then the man brought me to the eastward facing gate, and I saw the Glory of God of coming." Ezek 43:1
"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." Mal 4:2
"...because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death..." Luke 1:78,79

So, in this Kong Kong Cristian Cemetery, all the graves headstone are facing SOUTH.

Yeap, every headstone is facing SOUTH alright!

That is south facing.  Quite pleasant view.  The sea is that direction.

Direct behind is a small hill.  So this is the 背山向海.  (Behind is a hill to support, facing the big sea).  So, this is a bit Feng Shui related.

"Tomb orientation. It is believed that the soul continues to live after death in the spirit world, thus graves are the yin habitations as distinct from that of the living Tombs and buildings are supposed to be built where the feng shui is most favourable. Their siting is seen as a means of establishing and maintaining good fortune.

The south facing slope is preferred for burial ground as it is considered to be with " life and cosmic breath ". According to the New Nation (13 February 1978), geomancers in Hong Kong spent considerable time looking for a good site to bury the dead. Finally a small island in Miro Bay was chosen even though it meant inconvenience to devotees as they had to travel through a restricted zone to visit a grave. To the geomancers a site with "cosmic breath" is vital to the burial ground."

(Source: Page 8 & 9, Chapter 1 - What is Geomancy or Feng Shui?, from the book: Chinese Geomancy, A Layman's Guide, by Dr. Evelyn Lip. Published by Times Books International, Times Editions Pte Ltd, Times Centre, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore).

So, It is quite interesting to find out that my dad's graves is position quite close to the Eastern Geomancer's favors.

Well, I just found out this after all these years visiting my dad's grave.  It is an interesting findings' I must say.  :)