PROGRAMS
What we believe in
WELFARE SERVICES
T1 is constantly working with other social agencies to ensure the underprivileged's needs is met and served. Besides the regular projects of single elderly folks assistance at their residence, T1 is also one of the few advocates of pro-bono funerals for the needy, regardless of race and religion.
It also became the only Taoist organisation whom worked with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) during the Covid-19 period to convert its premises to house the rough sleepers during the circuit-breaker period. It also provides job opportunities and meals to the residents during their stay with the temple. T1 has since decided to continue to offer this meaningful program through the PEERS network of MSF until today.
In July 2020, T1 is humbled to be a lead partner in a community job placement program, "Project GEM" with People's Association and South East CDC where we job match the residents of East Coast GRC during the difficult Covid-19 period where many have lost their jobs.
On 26th April 2021, a latest initiative was launch in conjunction with East Coast GROs and South East CDC. The launch by DPM Heng Swee Keat saw the van retrofitted into a TCM Mobile Clinic going around 25 locations around the district of East Coast GRC, serving about 5000 treatments per year. Residents get treatments at heavily subsidised rates and the underprivileged group getting free treatments.
CULTURAL PROMOTION
T1 has been an active promoter of Chinese culture and had organised annual International Lion and Dragon Dance competitions since 2018 which attracted more than 70 teams from around the region. During Singapore Bicentennial year commemoration in 2019, it went on to organise the largest celebration of Racial and Religious Harmony Celebration, "Peace and Prosperity Singapura 2019" (PPSG). This festive parade saw more than 720 Lions dancing their way in to the Singapore Book of Records setting 2 records, a multi cultural performance, supercar parade and ended the evening with a magnificent display of fireworks at the Float @ Marina Bay.
T1 had also made several cultural exchanges with Taoist organisations from China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. Through these exchanges, we hope to better understand Taoism in their local context and foster a friendship which can better bridge future cultural and humanity projects.
HERITAGE PRESERVATION
“Filial Piety” is a traditional value which we have always been advocating in our teachings at Tao One Ltd (Tian Fu Gong). We even consider it to be the foremost quality amongst the many kind acts one can perform. With the modernisation of times, many families have chosen not to or have gave up having an ancestor altar at home. Some simply are unable to make it back to their hometown to pray due to work or migration. Hence, the younger generations eventually forget the importance of such acts and some even pass it off as superstition beliefs. As such, with no interest by the next generation to continue the legacy of their forefathers, many clans and associations of the minority surnames are now closed down or are faced with the situation of closing down soon.
To preserve and educate this value, Tao One decided to set up the “Hall of Hundred Surnames” based on a Chinese literature classic entitled “Hundred Household Surnames”. Academic researchers have found over 22,000 surnames in history records but many of them had lost their lineage and cease to exist as time passes. There are currently about 3,500 surnames amongst the Chinese household population these days. The 1000 year old “Hundred Household Surnames” originated from the Southern Song dynasty, is a Chinese literature which had used the surname characters and arranged them into a poetic classic. The original edition began with 411 surnames and eventually revised into 504 surnames, of which 444 are single character surnames and 60 are double characters surnames. The current rendition of the 100 most common surnames comprises of over 87% of the entire Chinese population. By using this literature classic as a reference guide, it will mean that we will have over 90% of all the surnames covered at our hall. To the best of our knowledge, there isn’t a similar set up in South East Asia.
Taoist Priests of various dialect groups was invited to jointly consecrate this “Hall of Hundred Surnames” on the 15th day of the lunar 7th month 2021. We will be reaching out and inviting the various clans and association to share with us their urn’s ashes to symbolize the diversity and inclusion of different cultural and dialect groups harmoniously under one roof.
Tao One will continue to engage Taoist priests on the various significant Chinese festivals to lead the devotees in praying to their ancestors. The major festivals are:
Lunar New Year
Qing Ming Festival
Dumpling Festival
Zhong Yuan Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
Double Ninth Festival
Winter Solace Festival
We encourage the public whom wishes to pray to their ancestors or families whom are unable to continue praying to their ancestors at home to reach out to us for further advise.