Monkey tree phenomenon

Last updated

The monkey tree phenomenon was a social phenomenon in Singapore, which began in September 2007. It arose from the discovery of a callus on a tree in Hong Kah, which appears monkey-like. Some believe the image to be of divine origin, while others have attributed the phenomenon to the effects of pareidolia, whereby random stimuli are perceived as meaningful. The callus has initiated a minor social mania, drawing large crowds to look or pray at the tree.

Contents

History

Beginnings

The phenomenon started on 12 September 2007 when an unknown person put up a sign in Chinese on a tree on Jurong West Street 42. The sign read that a monkey had come to the tree three years ago to look for his father, the Monkey God. It added that a recent car accident had split the old bark of the tree open, releasing the Monkey God. One resident purported that the monkey image appeared around 3 September 2007. [1] [2]

The appearance of the sign and the monkey outline on the tree trunk were reported in the local English and Chinese-language newspapers such as The New Paper , The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao . Reports also quoted residents claiming how three car accidents had earlier happened at the spot, but none had been fatal, purportedly due to the tree's "magical" properties.

Since news broke on 13 September 2007, hundreds of people from all over Singapore have flocked to the usually quiet HDB neighbourhood to pay homage to the tree. By the afternoon of 13 September, the crowd visiting the tree had swelled to more than 30, with offerings occupying the grass patch surrounding the tree. [1] [3]

Monkey outline

The tree with the monkey outline is a species of the African Mahogany. It is a common tree planted by the National Parks Board (NParks) to provide shade, particularly in parks and along major roads and expressways. It is a hardy tree that grows well under most soil conditions.

On the trunk of the tree in question is an outline of two monkeys – one larger than the other – with limbs, faces and bodies. They were formed on a surface that is smoother and of a slightly lighter colour than the rest of the trunk. Some people claimed to see three monkeys.

NParks gave a plausible explanation for how the monkey outline could have been formed: The tree was involved in several minor accidents over the years. The uneven bark surface at the base of the tree trunk was the result of callusing, a natural reaction in which the tree grows new bark over injured areas.

The department of biological sciences at the National University of Singapore explained that patterns formed by callusing are random and depend on the damage caused by the accidents. It added that the monkey outline on the smoother bark may disappear with time as the new tissue layers form under it and push this layer out. Subsequently, the smooth surface would get darker and rougher, like the rest of the tree bark.

Public mania

Devotees to the tree believed that the images are either a manifestation of Sun Wukong, a deity from Chinese mythology, or Hanuman, the monkey deity in the Hindu pantheon, and that praying to them would bring them luck. [4]

The crowd has been leaving bunches of bananas, packets of peanuts, oranges and chrysanthemum flowers, burning joss sticks, and praying for lucky 4-D numbers at the tree. People also started burning incense paper, prompting a resident to place a zinc barrel beside the tree so that the ashes could be scooped into the barrel. [1] [2] Some residents even won a bet on the 4-D draw held on 12 September. The winning number "4309" was obtained by combining the HDB block number near the tree (430) and the order of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac (ninth).

There were volunteers who helped to distribute the bananas and peanuts to people who drop by. Some of them have also put up signs telling people not to leave red packets filled with money beneath the tree. A visitor had left a tin can containing tiny rolls of paper at the tree. [1] [4]

Thousands of people have since visited the tree, and the crowd grew to over 200 at one point on the afternoon of 14 September. The crowd consisted of both men and women, mostly Chinese and Indians of all ages. The people wanted a peek of the monkey images, while many took pictures of the tree with their mobile phones. Images of the monkey tree were even sold at S$3 or S$10 a photograph near the tree. [4]

The crowds were so large that residents started complaining of the noise, littering and traffic jams caused by vehicles parked illegally along the narrow road. This prompted the police to patrol the area. [3] [4]

Two nearby trees also started garnering offerings from 14 September – one for a supposed outline of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, on its trunk, and another whose bark resembles the Hindu elephant god Ganesha. [4] [5]

Sociological explanations

Many experts interviewed by The Straits Times thought that the phenomenon could be a case of "believing is seeing".

A sociologist from the National University of Singapore explained that "those who believe in divine objects are mostly those who follow a simple faith which is founded in tangible evidences of the sacred". He referred to the believers who, in May 2006, flocked to the mountains of Mexico's southern Chiapas state where a rock with an image that resembles Jesus Christ was discovered.

Another sociologist pointed out that "these objects are called fetishes or 'objects that are imbued with deep symbolic significance to become sacred objects that embody gods and spirits'." In the monkey tree's case, it was because of a "natural transformation of its material appearance that reminds people of an important legend", and "this form of worship is actually basic to human religious behaviour".

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ng Hui Hui (13 September 2007). "Monkey See, Monkey Do?". The New Paper . pp. 12, 13. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Monkey Mania". The Straits Times . 13 September 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Public "impatient" to see "Monkey tree"". mypaper. 17 September 2007. p. 6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Zaihan Mohamed Yusof (14 September 2007). "So Noisy We Cannot Sleep". The New Paper . pp. 10, 11. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  5. ↑ "Elephantine frenzy at Jurong". The Straits Times . 15 September 2007.

Related Research Articles

Nanyang Sin-Chew Lianhe Zaobao, commonly abbreviated as Lianhe Zaobao, is the largest Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper with a daily circulation of about 136,900 as of 2021. Published by SPH Media, it was formed on 16 March 1983 as a result of a merger between Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Jit Poh, two of Singapore's oldest Chinese newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punggol</span> Planning Area and HDB Town in North-East Region ----, Singapore

Punggol, old name as Ponggol, is a planning area and new town situated on the Tanjong Punggol peninsula in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town directly borders Sengkang to the south and shares riverine boundaries with the planning area of Seletar to the west and Pasir Ris to the east. Bounding the town to the north and north-east is the Straits of Johor, with Coney Island included as a part of the Punggol planning area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurong West</span> Residential town in the West Region of Singapore

Jurong West is a planning area and residential town located in the West Region of Singapore. Jurong West shares boundaries with Tengah in the north, Jurong East in the east, Boon Lay and Pioneer in the south, and Western Water Catchment in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ya Kun Kaya Toast</span> Singaporean company

Ya Kun Kaya Toast, often colloquially known just as Ya Kun, is a Singaporean chain of mass-market, retro-ambience cafés selling toast products, soft-boiled eggs and coffee. Founded by Loi Ah Koon in 1944, Ya Kun remained a small family-run stall for decades, but has expanded rapidly since Loi's youngest son headed the business in 1999. The chain has over fifty outlets, mostly franchised, across 14 countries, and is a Singaporean cultural icon, known for its traditional brand identity and conservative, people-centric corporate culture.

Kelvin Tan Wei Lian is a Singaporean former Mandopop singer who earned a living as a busker before he won the first edition of Project SuperStar in 2005. He has released three albums, All I Want Is... (2006), i-Weilian (2007) and Moving Notes...Kelvin Tan (2009). He also had a solo concert at the Singapore Expo, lead a choir at the opening ceremony at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and singing Singapore's 2009 National Day Parade's theme song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasir Ris Park</span> Park in Singapore

Pasir Ris Park is a beach park located in the eastern part of Singapore. It covers an area of 70 hectares, and was partially built on reclaimed land. Initially planned in the late 1970s to serve people living in the vicinity, the park was designed with the help of two Japanese landscape specialists. Construction began on the park in September 1984, and the park was opened in phases from August 1986 to 1991. The park was further expanded in 2007, with the addition of new areas such as a herb garden.

<i>The Eye 2</i> 2004 Hong Kong film

The Eye 2 is a 2004 Hong Kong supernatural horror film directed and edited by Danny and Oxide Pang. It is a standalone sequel to The Eye (2002). Produced by Mediacorp Raintree Pictures and Applause, the film was released in Hong Kong on 8 March 2004.

Nanyang Siang Pau was a newspaper in Singapore that was founded by philanthropist-entrepreneur Tan Kah Kee on 6 September 1923. It had a circulation across the Straits Settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pinnacle@Duxton</span> Public Housing in Cantonment Road, Singapore

The Pinnacle@Duxton is a 50-storey residential development in Singapore's city center, next to the business district. All seven connected towers are collectively the world's tallest public residential buildings, and featuring the two longest sky gardens ever built on skyscrapers, at 500m each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengah, Singapore</span> Planning Area and future HDB town in West Region ----, Singapore

Tengah is a planning area and future HDB town located within the West Region of Singapore. It is bound by Choa Chu Kang to the northeast, Jurong East and Jurong West to the south, Bukit Batok to the east and the Western Water Catchment to its west and north.

<i>Lianhe Wanbao</i>

Lianhe Wanbao was a Singapore Chinese afternoon newspaper published daily by SPH Media from 16 March 1983 after the merger between Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Jit Poh.

Hong Kah is a residential precinct in Jurong West, Singapore. It is bounded by the PIE, Corporation Road, Jurong Canal Drive, Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong Town Hall Road. It is named after the former 'Hong Kah Village'.

Haunted Changi, is a 2010 Singaporean found footage horror film directed by Andrew Lau. The film gained attention online prior to its release due to online marketing.

My Dog Dou Dou, is a 2012 Singaporean drama comedy film directed by Ng Say Yong.

One More Chance, is a 2005 Singaporean comedy drama film directed by Jack Neo, Michael Woo and Nan Sing Toh.

On 13 March 1997, at one of the HDB flats in King George's Avenue, Kallang, 53-year-old Sivapackiam Veerappan Rengasamy was discovered dead in her bedroom by her son. Sivapackiam was found to have been stabbed three times in the neck and she died from the wounds. During police investigations, Sivapackiam's tenant Gerardine Andrew, a 36-year-old prostitute, told police that on the day of the murder, she returned to the flat and saw three people attacking her landlady and robbing her, and they threatened her to leave after briefly holding her hostage.

Benjamin Heng is a Singaporean actor, known for starring in the romantic action film Eating Air, the comedy film Lelio Popo, and in the horror comedy film Zombiepura, as well as in several television series, such as Anything Goes, Durian King and Money No Problem!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Sivapragasam Subramaniam</span> 1990 murder of a bystander during a gang fight in Marsiling, Singapore

On 14 December 1990, at Marsiling, Singapore, during a gang-related incident, a 20-year-old bystander and Malaysian citizen Sivapragasam a/l Subramaniam was struck on the head with an axe and he died as a result of the head injuries. It was revealed that the infamous gang Ang Soon Tong had entered the territory of their rival gang Gi Leng Hor, which happened to be in the same area where Sivapragasam was killed and had the intent to settle scores with the rival gang relating to prior conflicts. Sivapragasam was mistook for a rival gang member and therefore attacked; five other bystanders were also injured. A total of 14 suspects were arrested, and 13 of them were jailed for rioting and causing grievous hurt. The 14th and final suspect, Sagar Suppiah Retnam, who was the headman of Ang Soon Tong, was found guilty of murdering Sivapragasam and sentenced to death on 31 May 1994. Sagar's appeal was dismissed, and he was hanged on 7 July 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Packiria Pillai Krishnasamy</span> 1984 murder of an elderly man in Singapore

On 27 July 1984, 74-year-old Packiria Pillai Krishnasamy was murdered inside his flat at Tah Ching Road, Jurong. The police managed to arrest two suspects, Ramachandran Suppiah and Krishnan Varadan, who were both allegedly responsible for causing Packiria's death during a robbery bid. In May 1987, Ramachandran and Krishnan were both sentenced to hang for murdering Packiria. Although the duo lost their first appeal against the trial verdict, Ramachandran was acquitted after his second appeal, due to insufficient evidence proving that Ramachandran had participated in the crime, and Krishnan however, remained on death row after failing to challenge his conviction a second time. Krishnan was hanged on 15 April 1994 after spending seven years on death row, and he was reportedly the longest-serving death row prisoner in Singapore at the time of his execution.

References

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.