An unusual Hungry Ghost Festival prayer setup in Chinatown has attracted attention online after offerings were placed directly in front of a large National Day billboard featuring four Jalan Besar GRC Members of Parliament.
Photos shared online showed an offering table positioned along Banda Street, across from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The setup included joss sticks, incense burners, fruit and a roast pig, with devotees seen kneeling in prayer in front of the billboard.
The billboard had featured images of Jalan Besar MPs Josphine Teo, Shawn Huang, Denise Phua and Wan Rizal, alongside a message wishing residents a Happy 61st National Day.
Photos spark reactions online
The unusual positioning prompted some social media users to describe the arrangement as inappropriate, while others responded with jokes about the unexpected combination of religious offerings and the politicians’ photographs.
The scene was reportedly spotted on the afternoon of Aug. 15, when preparations for the Hungry Ghost Festival were taking place in the Chinatown area.
According to local media reports, the prayer activity was not organised by the nearby coffeeshop, despite the offering table being set up close to the premises.
A coffeeshop manager, identified as 75-year-old Madam Zhao, said the event was likely organised by regular customers, including nearby residents and workers who traditionally conduct prayers in the area.
Prayer location reportedly changed this year
Madam Zhao said the prayer activity had previously been held at another nearby open space.
However, that location was occupied by another event involving large balloons this year, resulting in the prayer setup being moved to its current location along Banda Street.
She said those involved initially viewed the area simply as an available open space and did not realise that the offering table was directly facing the MPs’ billboard.
It was only after photographs of the setup circulated online that they became aware of how unusual the arrangement appeared.
Town council reportedly contacted coffeeshop
Madam Zhao said she was unsure whether a permit had been obtained for the prayer activity.
She added that the town council had already contacted the coffeeshop regarding the placement of the offerings.
She reportedly intended to locate the organiser and ask him to liaise directly with the town council over the matter.
The situation appeared to have been resolved by the time reporters visited the location.
The offering table had been removed, although a few joss sticks remained on the ground.
Residents offer different views
Nearby residents also reacted to the unusual scene.
One resident, identified as 68-year-old Mr Yang, said he had not paid much attention when he passed the area at around 5pm on Aug. 15.
However, after seeing photographs of the setup online, he described the arrangement as inauspicious.
Another resident, 73-year-old Madam Xie, believed the positioning was likely an oversight rather than deliberate.
She suggested that those organising the prayer activity may simply not have noticed that the offering table had been placed directly in front of the billboard showing the MPs’ faces.
With the offering table subsequently removed, the unusual Chinatown scene appears to have been short-lived.
Nevertheless, photographs of the setup have continued to attract attention online, with the combination of Hungry Ghost Festival offerings and a political billboard providing an unexpected talking point during Singapore’s National Day period.