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Ong Yah[1] (Chinese: 王爺; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ông-iâ; lit. 'Royal Lord') are deities in Hokkien folk religion in Fujian and Taiwan, frequently considered an aspect of the Taoist belief system. Ong Yah is particularly worshipped in Southern Taiwan[2] and also among Hoklo communities worldwide.
The customary belief is that Ong Yah are Divine Emissaries who tour the world of the living on behalf of the Celestial Imperial Order, expelling disease and evil from those who worship and seek their divine grace. A temple dedicated to Ong Yah is usually called Tāi-thian-hú (代天府, "Palace representing (the son of) Heaven"), and the Ong Yah's visit is known as Tāi-thian-sûn-siú (代天巡狩, "Celestial Imperial Inspector representing the (son of) Heaven"), the object of the "inspection" being disease and bad luck. Such "inspection tours" take place on a regular cycle of a set number of years, usually three years but may varies at different region.
- ^ Ong Chun/Wangchuan/Wangkang Ceremony: rituals and related practices for maintaining the sustainable connection between man and the ocean. 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2024-10-05 – via www.unesco.org.
- ^ Katz, Paul R. (2011). "Royal Lords". Encyclopedia of Taiwan. Council for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 24 February 2012.