In a nod to the Labubu trend, a temple in Tampines recently featured four of the popular toys at a ceremony for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
Images of the toys dressed in traditional attire typically worn by devotees were shared in a TikTok video that has since garnered more than 750,000 views and 53,000 likes.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
Captioned “this Laobubu (sic) trend has gone too far”, the clip shows priests and other temple staff posing with the toys, which are beloved by younger audiences.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
Although Labubu dolls aren’t usually associated with a traditional Taoist festival like the Nine Emperor Gods, they seemed to be a welcome addition to the ceremony.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
At least one Labubu doll reportedly even joined the “water invitation ceremony” at Changi Beach.
Asked to explain what was happening, the OP said the temple dressed up the dolls as devotees to participate in the festival.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
Tampines MP Baey Yam Keng also embraced the trend, posting a photo on Facebook of himself with two Labubu toys dressed in all-white garb — not the colours of his political party but the attire of devotees at Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
Source: Baey Yam Keng on Facebook
In his post, he mentioned being invited by the Ling Lian Bao Dian Kew Ong Yah (凌莲宝殿斗母宫) temple to attend a ceremony welcoming the Nine Emperor God from the sea on 1 Oct.
Source: Baey Yam Keng on Facebook
He was happy to see young devotees taking part in the 11-day long Taoist tradition, he added.
Reaction was mixed. While the Labubu toys have added a playful element to the tradition, some netizens feel that incorporating the dolls into such a solemn ceremony may not be appropriate.
Among the 500+ comments on the TikTok video, some loved the concept, calling the Labubu toys adorable, while others found the dolls unappealing.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
Even those who liked the dolls, however, weren’t too keen on them being used in this way, with one detractor calling it an “obsession”.
Another Labubu fan said it disrespected the temple, though it was the temple that came up with the idea.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
A netizen who felt that it was “disrespectful behaviour” asked why the “Taoism Association” (i.e. the Singapore Taoist Federation) didn’t call it out.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
Ling Lian Bao Dian Kew Ong Yah chairman Chen Jingliang (transliterated from Mandarin) told 8world News that the temple prepared four Labubu toys to take part in the event — one big and three small.
Temple directors specially made clothes for them — white shirts and pants with a yellow sash and white headgear — so that they could resemble devotees, he added.
Source: @quanzhentaoist on TikTok
They did this after realising that the Labubu craze in Singapore could help draw younger people to the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
The dolls were unveiled at the welcoming ceremony on 1 Oct and were warmly welcomed by devotees, he said.
25-year-old part-time Taoist priest Li Zhitong (transliterated from Mandarin), who posted the TikTok video, said he didn’t know much about the Labubu trend.
However, the toys have “strengthened the relationship” of devotees and they all find it “cute”.
Responding to those who said including the toys in the event was disrespectful, Mr Chen said the dolls were “devotees”.
It’s only disrespectful to the gods if they were used as sacrifices, he added.
After seeing the TikTok video, many people came to the temple to see the Labubu toys, especially those from Gen Z.
Labubu will also take part in the sending-off ceremony on 11 Oct and will be brought to other temples for group prayers that day.
Mr Zhuo Hongshan (transliterated from Mandarin), chairman of Kew Ong Yah Temple in Upper Serangoon, said many temples nowadays are trying to catch up with trends.
While we should respect the gods, many things are up to the person and “there’s no right or wrong”, he added, saying:
It’s the person who does it, not the god. Since it’s controlled by humans, one can choose not to participate if one doesn’t like it.
Also read: The real backstory of Labubu & all you need to know about the toy
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Featured image adapted from @quanzhentaoist on TikTok.
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