Pray, change my luck
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Pray, change my luck
The Erawan shrine in Bangkok has seen many celebrities praying for better fortune
By Foong Woei Wan
STI Home > Lifestyle > Hot > StoryFORMER Hong Kong actress Deborah Li was in tears last week when she heard that the statue at Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok was destroyed.
WORSHIP: (above) The Erawan Shrine in Bangkok draws thousands of Thais and foreign tourists who pray for anything ranging from fertility to good fortune. (bottom) The shrine, damaged by amentally ill man. It is currently being repaired. — AFPFor 50 years, the shrine near the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel housed the world-famous four-faced statue of the Hindu deity of creation, Brahma. It is one of the most popular places of worship in Thailand.
Devotees from many faiths and from all over Asia – including stars such as Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Shu Qi, Sammo Hung and Singapore’s Fann Wong – have prayed to the statue, which is called the four-faced Buddha in Chinese.
Last Tuesday, the statue was shattered by a hammer-wielding young man. Thanakorn Pakdeepol, 27, who had a history of mental illness, was then beaten to death by bystanders. Two street sweepers have been charged with second-degree murder.
To Li, the statue is like her ‘elder’.
‘Now that the elder is injured and has been hospitalised, I must rush there to visit him,’ she told Oriental Daily News. She said she planned to go to Bangkok tomorrow.
The remains of the statue will be incorporated into a replacement statue which will be ready in two months, reported The Nation.
Which means the crowds – as well as the celebrities – will be back.
Fann Wong, 35
The darling of Caldecott Hill was suspended by the then Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) in December 1996 in a dispute over her prior contract with a Taiwanese production house.
In March 1997, on the advice of friends, she headed for Erawan Shrine to make offerings to reverse her luck, reported Lianhe Wanbao. Her buddies – former actor Xie Shaoguang, actor Chen Hanwei and hairstylist David Gan – accompanied her.
By the end of that year, all was forgiven. She was filming again and even won a Star Award for popularity. She went on to star in a major Hollywood movie, 2003’s Shanghai Knights, opposite Jackie Chan.
The actress says she still pops by the shrine ‘to pray for peace and health’ whenever she travels to Thailand.
Deborah Li, 54
THANKSGIVING: Nicholas Tse’s mother Deborah Li (above, with husband Kong Yew Seng) prayed at Erawan Shrine and when her prayers were answered, she donated $80,000 for the renovation of Wat Ananda Metyarama in Bukit Merah (above).Legend has it that the former Hong Kong film star once stripped and danced for the Brahma statue at Erawan Shrine to give thanks for her fame. But she has denied the story.
‘That wasn’t me. I was so sick once, I couldn’t get out of bed for three months. I said then that if I got well, I would do a three-minute traditional dance to thank the deity,’ she told Oriental Daily News.
She has been a believer since she made a trip to Bangkok in 1969. Her ex-husband, actor Patrick Tse, and her son, singer Nicholas Tse, have also prayed at the shrine.
Four years ago, she sought divine intervention to keep her son out of jail. That year, Nicholas, who faced up to two years in jail for trying to cover up a car crash, eventually got away with doing community service.
To give thanks, Li made donations to temples housing Brahma in Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2004, she and her Singaporean pilot husband, Kong Yew Seng, donated $80,000 for the renovation of Wat Ananda Metyarama in Bukit Merah.
David Gan, who is in his 40s
The hairstylist to the stars has been a regular visitor of Erawan Shrine for more than 20 years, since he set up Passion salon.
He visits the shrine once a month or even once a week when he is troubled. In fact, he was there to pray for his health last Monday, before the Brahma statue was desecrated, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
He told the newspaper that he used to make thanksgiving offerings of chocolate and pandan cake. Now, he pays dancers to perform for the statue. When he was younger, he said, he would turn to Brahma for help with his romantic woes. But he quipped: ‘I’m past that phase now.’
Lee Wei, 24
NO LUCK: Taiwanese pop star Lee Wei went to the shrine to pray for luck in his love life, but his prayers went unanswered.The Taiwanese pop star and actress Hsu Wei-lun went to Erawan Shrine during Chinese New Year in 2002 to pray for their budding romance. They were back in Bangkok to thank the deity a year later, said Taiwan’s Apple Daily. Their love, unfortunately, did not last.
By 2004, Lee had lost Hsu to Vic Chou, an actor-singer from the group F4. Last year, Hsu met her share of heartbreak when Chou broke up with her and began dating actress Barbie Hsu.
Li Nanxing, 41
The former king of Caldecott Hill had a bad year in 1996, reported Lianhe Wanbao. His acting career seemed to have plateaued, deals with advertisers fell through and business at the karaoke pub he managed was poor.
He said then: ‘My luck is so bad, I have bad luck coming out of my toes.’
That year, he was in Bangkok to film the telemovie, Life On The Line. So he went to Erawan Shrine and asked for Brahma’s blessings.
In 1997, he was caught drink-driving, fined $4,000 and banned from driving for 21/2 years.
Aaron Kwok, 40
At the height of his popularity in 1996, the Hong Kong Heavenly King took time off from his concert tour in Thailand for a hush-hush visit to Erawan Shrine.
Not so hush-hush, as things turned out.
As he neared the shrine in a car, he found that fans and TV crews were waiting for him.
He managed to step into the shrine, but only after about 30 security guards were called in to control the crowd.
Article of faith
ERAWAN Shrine, which is next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the middle of an upscale shopping district, has long been a prime tourist destination in Bangkok. It draws thousands of Thais and foreign tourists daily.
The shrine was built in 1956 along with the earlier Erawan hotel, after an astrologer pointed out that the date when the foundation stone was laid was inauspicious.
The astrologer advised that two shrines – one for Brahma, a supreme Hindu god, and the other for a guardian spirit – be built to rectify the situation.
The hotel was later torn down. But the four-faced gilded plaster statue of Brahma at Erawan Shrine became world-famous.
Astrology and fortune-telling still play a major role in Thai life, even as the country adopts Western ways and modernises. Visitors to the shrine usually promise devotion in exchange for a change in their luck.
They range from infertile couples seeking children to entrepreneurs, the unemployed, lovers who wish to resolve quarrels and people seeking an edge in the lottery.
They will bring token offerings such as flower garlands, lotus blossoms, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, worshippers donate teak elephants or commission classical Thai dancers and an orchestra to perform.
The seriousness with which Thais treat their religious icons was evident last Tuesday, when a mentally disturbed man was beaten to death by street sweepers who saw him attacking the Erawan Shrine with a hammer.
Some saw the incident as a bad omen of the country’s political crisis, with daily demonstrations aiming to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
But police general Chidchai Wannasathid, who is also acting deputy prime minister, said an astrologer told him the attack might actually ease the turmoil. In its destruction, the shrine had made a self-sacrifice and borne the bad luck plaguing Thailand, Thai media quoted him as saying last Thursday.
AP/AFP/BLOOMBERG
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Pray, change my luck
The Erawan shrine in Bangkok has seen many celebrities praying for better fortune
By Foong Woei Wan
STI Home > Lifestyle > Hot > StoryFORMER Hong Kong actress Deborah Li was in tears last week when she heard that the statue at Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok was destroyed.
WORSHIP: (above) The Erawan Shrine in Bangkok draws thousands of Thais and foreign tourists who pray for anything ranging from fertility to good fortune. (bottom) The shrine, damaged by amentally ill man. It is currently being repaired. — AFPFor 50 years, the shrine near the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel housed the world-famous four-faced statue of the Hindu deity of creation, Brahma. It is one of the most popular places of worship in Thailand.
Devotees from many faiths and from all over Asia – including stars such as Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Shu Qi, Sammo Hung and Singapore’s Fann Wong – have prayed to the statue, which is called the four-faced Buddha in Chinese.
Last Tuesday, the statue was shattered by a hammer-wielding young man. Thanakorn Pakdeepol, 27, who had a history of mental illness, was then beaten to death by bystanders. Two street sweepers have been charged with second-degree murder.
To Li, the statue is like her ‘elder’.
‘Now that the elder is injured and has been hospitalised, I must rush there to visit him,’ she told Oriental Daily News. She said she planned to go to Bangkok tomorrow.
The remains of the statue will be incorporated into a replacement statue which will be ready in two months, reported The Nation.
Which means the crowds – as well as the celebrities – will be back.
Fann Wong, 35
The darling of Caldecott Hill was suspended by the then Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) in December 1996 in a dispute over her prior contract with a Taiwanese production house.
In March 1997, on the advice of friends, she headed for Erawan Shrine to make offerings to reverse her luck, reported Lianhe Wanbao. Her buddies – former actor Xie Shaoguang, actor Chen Hanwei and hairstylist David Gan – accompanied her.
By the end of that year, all was forgiven. She was filming again and even won a Star Award for popularity. She went on to star in a major Hollywood movie, 2003’s Shanghai Knights, opposite Jackie Chan.
The actress says she still pops by the shrine ‘to pray for peace and health’ whenever she travels to Thailand.
Deborah Li, 54
THANKSGIVING: Nicholas Tse’s mother Deborah Li (above, with husband Kong Yew Seng) prayed at Erawan Shrine and when her prayers were answered, she donated $80,000 for the renovation of Wat Ananda Metyarama in Bukit Merah (above).Legend has it that the former Hong Kong film star once stripped and danced for the Brahma statue at Erawan Shrine to give thanks for her fame. But she has denied the story.
‘That wasn’t me. I was so sick once, I couldn’t get out of bed for three months. I said then that if I got well, I would do a three-minute traditional dance to thank the deity,’ she told Oriental Daily News.
She has been a believer since she made a trip to Bangkok in 1969. Her ex-husband, actor Patrick Tse, and her son, singer Nicholas Tse, have also prayed at the shrine.
Four years ago, she sought divine intervention to keep her son out of jail. That year, Nicholas, who faced up to two years in jail for trying to cover up a car crash, eventually got away with doing community service.
To give thanks, Li made donations to temples housing Brahma in Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2004, she and her Singaporean pilot husband, Kong Yew Seng, donated $80,000 for the renovation of Wat Ananda Metyarama in Bukit Merah.
David Gan, who is in his 40s
The hairstylist to the stars has been a regular visitor of Erawan Shrine for more than 20 years, since he set up Passion salon.
He visits the shrine once a month or even once a week when he is troubled. In fact, he was there to pray for his health last Monday, before the Brahma statue was desecrated, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
He told the newspaper that he used to make thanksgiving offerings of chocolate and pandan cake. Now, he pays dancers to perform for the statue. When he was younger, he said, he would turn to Brahma for help with his romantic woes. But he quipped: ‘I’m past that phase now.’
Lee Wei, 24
NO LUCK: Taiwanese pop star Lee Wei went to the shrine to pray for luck in his love life, but his prayers went unanswered.The Taiwanese pop star and actress Hsu Wei-lun went to Erawan Shrine during Chinese New Year in 2002 to pray for their budding romance. They were back in Bangkok to thank the deity a year later, said Taiwan’s Apple Daily. Their love, unfortunately, did not last.
By 2004, Lee had lost Hsu to Vic Chou, an actor-singer from the group F4. Last year, Hsu met her share of heartbreak when Chou broke up with her and began dating actress Barbie Hsu.
Li Nanxing, 41
The former king of Caldecott Hill had a bad year in 1996, reported Lianhe Wanbao. His acting career seemed to have plateaued, deals with advertisers fell through and business at the karaoke pub he managed was poor.
He said then: ‘My luck is so bad, I have bad luck coming out of my toes.’
That year, he was in Bangkok to film the telemovie, Life On The Line. So he went to Erawan Shrine and asked for Brahma’s blessings.
In 1997, he was caught drink-driving, fined $4,000 and banned from driving for 21/2 years.
Aaron Kwok, 40
At the height of his popularity in 1996, the Hong Kong Heavenly King took time off from his concert tour in Thailand for a hush-hush visit to Erawan Shrine.
Not so hush-hush, as things turned out.
As he neared the shrine in a car, he found that fans and TV crews were waiting for him.
He managed to step into the shrine, but only after about 30 security guards were called in to control the crowd.
Article of faith
ERAWAN Shrine, which is next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the middle of an upscale shopping district, has long been a prime tourist destination in Bangkok. It draws thousands of Thais and foreign tourists daily.
The shrine was built in 1956 along with the earlier Erawan hotel, after an astrologer pointed out that the date when the foundation stone was laid was inauspicious.
The astrologer advised that two shrines – one for Brahma, a supreme Hindu god, and the other for a guardian spirit – be built to rectify the situation.
The hotel was later torn down. But the four-faced gilded plaster statue of Brahma at Erawan Shrine became world-famous.
Astrology and fortune-telling still play a major role in Thai life, even as the country adopts Western ways and modernises. Visitors to the shrine usually promise devotion in exchange for a change in their luck.
They range from infertile couples seeking children to entrepreneurs, the unemployed, lovers who wish to resolve quarrels and people seeking an edge in the lottery.
They will bring token offerings such as flower garlands, lotus blossoms, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, worshippers donate teak elephants or commission classical Thai dancers and an orchestra to perform.
The seriousness with which Thais treat their religious icons was evident last Tuesday, when a mentally disturbed man was beaten to death by street sweepers who saw him attacking the Erawan Shrine with a hammer.
Some saw the incident as a bad omen of the country’s political crisis, with daily demonstrations aiming to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
But police general Chidchai Wannasathid, who is also acting deputy prime minister, said an astrologer told him the attack might actually ease the turmoil. In its destruction, the shrine had made a self-sacrifice and borne the bad luck plaguing Thailand, Thai media quoted him as saying last Thursday.
AP/AFP/BLOOMBERG
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