MS Features: The young Taoist Priest who guides both the living and the dead
When most 26-year-olds are busy building careers, planning travels, or swiping on dating apps, Lee Chee Tong is balancing two very different worlds.
By day, he works full-time at a local university. By night, he dons a robe and performs rituals as a Taoist priest, guiding both the living and the dead.
However, what sets him apart is not just his youth.
It is the fact that Chee Tong has what people call the “third eye”, or the ability to “see” spirits.
As the Hungry Ghost Festival returns this lunar seventh month, he opens up to MS News about his uncanny encounters with the unseen, from ghostly warnings to a terrifying stalker entity.
Discovering his ‘gift’ as a child
Unlike in horror movies, Chee Tong’s first encounter with the supernatural did not involve a creepy Ouija board or a haunted house.
It actually happened when he was barely three years old and in a “fun” place for children.
Source: SG Magazine for illustration purposes only
“One evening, my mum brought me to the playground. When I went down the slide, I saw her on one bench,” he recalled.
But on the other bench, there was a red figure; a man, his whole body burnt, with blisters everywhere.
Terrified, Chee Tong ran straight to his mother, begging to go home, and his mother obliged.
This would not be the last time he saw things that others could not.
It was especially difficult for him growing up, as instead of being understood, he was ridiculed.
“Even teachers thought I was crazy,” Chee Tong said.
“So I kept quiet, only sharing with certain people. It gave me childhood trauma that still lingers today.”
The stalker spirit that followed him
However, the most frightening experience, Chee Tong said, happened during his junior college days.
On his way to school one day, he bumped into a tall, shadowy figure with long black hair covering a face with hollow eyes.
Source: stablediffusionweb.com. Image for illustration purposes only.
“I thought, never mind, just ignore it,” he said.
“But when I boarded the bus, it was right there. When I switched to the MRT, it followed me. I even developed a fever on the train.”
Even when he reached the lecture theatre, the entity did not give up and searched for him among the rows of students.
“I ducked low in my seat, trying not to be seen. It felt very malicious,” he recalled, adding that the spirit eventually followed him home.
Though it simply stood outside his house, Chee Tong’s grandmother later performed a cleansing ritual to banish it.
“It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever faced,” he admitted.
Not all ghosts are scary
Chee Tong explains that many of the spirits that people encounter are not actually conscious ghosts.
Usually, they are just remnants of human energy left behind in places like hospitals or accident sites.
Source: ExplorerSG
“They’re like NPCs (non-player characters) in a video game,” he explained.
“Just repeating the same action, facing one direction, and with no memories.”
Once, during his National Service on Pulau Tekong, he even saw what he believes was a tree spirit — a glowing, starfish-like being that simply walked into a tree and disappeared.
However, there are some spirits who are aware, and some of them can be dangerous.
“Suicide cases are the scariest,” he admitted.
“It’s like they’re stuck in the moment of death, replaying it over and over.”
A calling into Taoism
Ironically, Chee Tong did not grow up in a Taoist family.
In fact, he was Christian for much of his youth.
It was his search for life’s meaning that led him to explore Taoist philosophy.
Source: Google Maps
One night, he had a dream of an old man in white robes who told him to visit Kim Hong Temple.
When he woke up, he searched for it online and was amazed that it actually existed — right here in Singapore along Arumugam Road.
That was where he subsequently met his master, beginning his journey into priesthood.
“To me, being a Taoist priest isn’t a side job,” he said.
“It’s an extension of my faith and my way of serving the community.”
Hungry Ghost Festival is more than just about ghosts, says Taoist priest
As a priest, the seventh lunar month is one of Chee Tong’s busiest periods.
However, he stressed that the Hungry Ghost Festival is not just about appeasing wandering spirits.
Source: Kokkai Ng via Flickr
“To me, it’s a period of compassion and remembrance,” he explained.
“We honour our ancestors, but we also extend offerings to lonely souls who have no one praying for them. It’s about gratitude and kindness, not fear.”
During this time, Taoist priests conduct rituals to help spirits purify their souls and move on, rather than linger in suffering.
“It’s not eternal damnation,” he clarified.
“Even in the underworld, fire is not punishment. It’s purification. The soul can still rise once it’s cleansed.”
Living with the third eye
Does having the ability to see ghosts or spirits make life harder?
Chee Tong admits it can be draining, but Taoist practices such as meditation help him manage.
“The number one rule is never to sympathise too much with spirits,” he explained.
“Once you form an emotional connection, they can latch onto you.”
Instead, he sees his ability as both a responsibility and a reminder.
“Ghosts teach us about compassion, and they also remind us to treasure the living,” he said.
“Don’t wait until your parents are gone to show love. Don’t wait until your friends are gone to say what matters.”
Chee Tong remembers visiting a friend’s house previously and noticing someone sitting quietly in the kitchen.
At first, he did not react, but gradually it became clear that it was the spirit of his friend’s grandmother.
“The presence felt strong yet gentle,” Chee Tong recalled.
The spirit then communicated with Chee Tong, asking his friend not to cry so much and promising to watch over her.
She even commented on his friend’s relationship, suggesting that the person she was dating was not right for her.
Later, his friend broke down in tears as she had been overseas when her grandmother passed, and had not had the chance to say goodbye.
Having been cared for by her grandmother since she was a child, the encounter gave his friend the long-awaited sense of closure.
It was one of the rare moments when Chee Tong truly felt he had helped someone.
A modern Taoist priest in a modern world
At 26, Chee Tong knows he stands out in a field often dominated by older priests.
Some sceptics still dismiss him, but he shrugs it off.
“People can believe or not believe. What matters is whether my work brings peace,” he said.
Whether it is warding off malevolent spirits or guiding souls to salvation, he sees his path as a calling — one that bridges the visible and invisible worlds.
As the seventh month unfolds, he hopes Singaporeans will look beyond the horror stories.
“It’s not about fearing ghosts,” he said.
“It’s about compassion, for the dead, and for the living.”
Also read: Uncovering the ‘haunted’ history of Bishan MRT, one of S’pore’s oldest stations
Uncovering the ‘haunted’ history of Bishan MRT, one of S’pore’s oldest stations
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Featured image by MS News and Kokkai Ng on Flickr. Image on the right for illustration purposes only. Photography by Ngô Huy Toàn.
