July 2021
Ima ge cou rte sy of An
Macao Magazine 65
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(bottom centre) Tou Tei statue; (inset) António Conceição Junior
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Mércia Gonçalves
The third heritage item from Macao is the belief in a divinity called Tou Tei in Cantonese – the God of Earth known in Putonghua as Tudi (‘Earth and Ground’). Tou Tei is ubiquitous in Macao thanks to the many temples, shrines and statuettes in his honour. The tutelary deity is widely worshipped as a guardian, patron and protector of a particular place such as one’s home or shop, and the Feast of Tou Tei on the second day of the second lunar month is one of Macao’s most important religious festivals. Tou Tei statuettes are commonly placed in front of residential, commercial and other kinds of premises in the expectation that the deity protects the owners and even helps increase their wealth. For instance, several Tou Tei temples and shrines are located around the city. Folk belief – customarily blended with Buddhism and Taoism – is Macao’s main religion, and it is one of the most important aspects of local culture. “Chinese civilisation developed within an agrarian context that has always been present in almost every aspect of its culture” says cultural commentator António Conceição Junior, who is one of Macao’s bestknown artists. “This cult of millennia evolved into Tu Ti Gong (the old man of the earth), spreading throughout the Empire. Thus, Macao too shares the same rites and temples dedicated to its own Tu Ti Gong or, in the Cantonese dialect, T’ou Tei Kông, whose celebration takes place in the second lunar month.”
