Extreme Game - Chinese Ouija 'Cai lan gong'

Oh how times have changed, during the olden days the children of yesteryears spending more time outdoors and do what they loves best, have fun playing various games and sang many rhymes. Many of which requires very little supplies or gadgets. All they need is their imagination as well as their muscles.

One of the extreme tradition games played by children was the spirit-basket game called 'cai lan gong' [菜篮公] meaning ‘basket deity’. Other spirit ouija games they were coin spirit game and overturned glass or cup is placed on the table chinese ouija board, I believe it is called "Wan Die Xian 玩碟仙" (literally "playing with cup spirits").

A board and pointer used for divination  is found in China around 1100 AD
and some use as a tool for contacting the dead and the spirit-world.

It could be those days the children are braver, growing up in poverty creates tough and braves child. Nowadays my niece bring the house down, she screams and shrieks just at the sight of cockroaches.

Spirit-basket-divination is a 1,500 year-old Chinese divination method that might have been written off as extinct, had it not been rediscovered in Indonesia. The spirit-basket in Indonesia is also shared the same namesake, ‘jailangkung’ derived from the legacy of Chinese-Indonesian relationships.

Here the practice is alive and well widespread to an extent that might be described as harmful social influence to the country due to became popular game among youths, they played to predict lottery numbers.

In Chinese popular ritual, the spirit of deity is using the basket divination as a medium to communicate with the believers while Indonesian summon up dead spirits into a doll or puppet with a pencil or chalk is to be used for writing, attached to the lower side of the doll.

The now defunct game was widely played by Chinese in ethnic Chinese majority nations but now was no longer mention or realize there is such a game.

My mom used to play the game when she was a kid, 'cai lan gong' was played only during the Moonlight Festival night and only reserved for teenage kids.

The Chinese place a strong belief in spirit called 'Cay Lan Kung' dan 'Cay Lan Tse'. The puppet effigy is decorated with a basket as a body dressed up with clothes and a bundle of keys ties at the clothing waistline.

Before they can start the game, they need to burn the incense, and smoke begins to billow, transmitting, as all will stay quitely waiting.

The indonesia version use a coconut shell as its head so placed that the whole thing looks just like a doll.

The spirit basket carried on poles by two bearers, then the ringleader started recite below mantra repeatedly while fumigate the puppet with the incense smoke and then wait for a few minutes for the arrival.

The leader of the group, whose role is more like a shaman, normally it must be guide by someone who knows the game inside out.

Mantra In Hakka language : I hope I get the pronunciation and mantra right

Thai lam sin, thai lam fa...

Pat nyet sip ng chiang nyi ha loi kau jit ja...

oi loi tu loi, ng ho jit sin khi ngoi ngoi...

oi hi tu hi, ng ho jit sin ta liong thi...

cuk jap co son pun nyi cho, ten sim tham khiau pun nyi ko

thai pa so si oi nyi nak, se pa so si oi nyi jung

kim ci hiong cuk chiang nyi loi, kim ci hiong cuk chiang nyi con

In English :
'Cay Lan Kung, 'Cay Lan Tse'
On the 15th day of the 8th lunar month I invite you to descend to play for 1 night
If your're willing, please come down. Do not just standstill.
If wish to go then go, do not rebel
bamboo leaves built ship for you to aboard, rows of lanterns become bridge for pass through
Big key you can hold, small key you can use
Joss paper, incense and candles to invite you to come, joss paper, incense and candles to invite you to leave



The ringleader kept repeating it until the basket turns heavier or there is a sense of vibration, that is the arrival indication been detected in the basket, a spirit has entered.

Those games are not for the faint-hearted. The spirit basket porters needs to be strong physically and mentally.

Is something similiar with devotees carrying a deity seated on a sedan
chair that swings by its own free will.

Thus, as soon as the two persons carrying the basket sedan give the ringleader a nod to signal that they are being visited by a spirit or deity, the leader immediately asks whether you’re 'Cay Lan Kung or 'Cay Lan Tse', "What's your name ?"

Questioning and answering session can start begin. The puppet will move to the answering questions put to it by either nodding or rapping.

When the session ends, gently invite the spirit to return where they come from.


The spirit basket game played by my Mom as a child, I know you may find this hard to believe, but I know that it`s true.

You gotta play the game to be believer. I dare you to play.. a word of reminder. The rule is NEVER abandon the game half way, it is your responsibility to ensure the spirit has left.

There is a Chinese proverbs, "inviting spirits are easy, but sending away spirits are not easy".

If the player does not know how to properly invite the spirits back, the consequences can be quite dangerous. The spirits might show angry range from mild to severe and can even be life-threatening when possessed onto a person's body goes into a trance.

So be careful! You Have Been Warned!

The Mystery of the Haunted House

Most people like to make the mistake of jumping straight to assumptions and conclusions based on their own perceptions. Am I included? Yeah, Right.

For example, when you are approached by a guy with lots of tattoos, you end up assuming that this person could possibly be up to no good. Likewise, when you see a pretty good looking girl, straight away your brain fools you again. You think she's a nice lady.

Love is blind to physical beauty, we can't ignore that. The society's idea of beauty remind us that what is on the outside and not from inside. Whatever happened to the saying, beauty is only skin deep?

Young Lady vs Old Lady Optical Illusion. This is definitely one of the most
gotcha  amazing optical illusions of all times! 

Let me tell you a little true story...The story takes place in China.

Two brothers working hard than ever as a manual labour, hoping one day they are able to live in their own home. Their futile effort, no matter how hard they work or save, they just couldn't buy a property due to escalating housing prices in the property market have became unaffordable for the lower income group.

One day their luck has changed when they passes in front of a real estate agent's office and saw a property advertisements in the agent's window.It does seem too good to be true, a four story house price is below the market price.

There were others who try to persuade the brothers not to buy due to the house is rumoured to be haunted. Those brothers wouldn't bother with those rumours as this bargains difficult to find, whatever may be the consequences.

Thinking if there is ghost present, “Look, if you don't bother me, I won't bother you"
They were already the fifth owners of this building. None of the previous owners can last up to a month.

Everything was fine until one night the start of the night terror began. Between midnight and 3 am, strange occurrences start to happen, a strange rumbling of unknown origin gives off unusual eerie sounds that came from every floor. Even those brave brothers are getting scared by the day. Their relatives will not come to visit them anymore due to the rumours.

Both brothers try to stay optimistic and still believing the house is not haunted; it could be good explanations on this. So they went to hired someone to check whether is there any crack structure in the building that can caused the wind noises and turbulence.

The results of fact-finding is no defect found. OK, now it's time to panic.They should start worrying.

After experienced daily trouble sleeping, the anger has mounted to the extent it could prevailed against fear of ghost.They Ain't Afraid O' No Ghost No More, they must get to the bottom of this problem immediately.

One night, the search for the sound begins. They make up their mind to confront the ‘ghost’. It started from the top floor and sources of noises may be traced to plumbing system pipes.The drain pipe bizarre sound was trace by following from floor to floor till the sound has come to an end at the squat toilet. What is the next step? They discussed it among themselves and said, "Let us do or die!". The ceramic squat toilet floor was hacked but nothing found.

Undeterred by their failure, by the next morning the brothers continue the search. The septic tank was located outside of the house, the brothers use a pry bar to pry off the septic tank lid open.

No turning back now, although foul smelling, they must not give up searching.
There must be something hiding inside inside, by using a fish hand net they try to sweep whatever is inside.

Wait! There is something under water surfaces, they come up to the surface.

The mystery was unfolded, a few large cat fish was found inside the septic tank!

Flashback, what actually happened...

The first home owner likes the unique taste of this fish.So he usually gets them fresh and alive from the market and kept it temporary in a plastic container. A few of the catfish managed to escape when it jump out of the bowl, walk across the floor towards the porcelain hole in the ground, heading to freedom.

A normal fish will not survive in a septic tank but not for cat fish. It will able to survive on land and tolerate muddy, low water situations. Their main goal simple being to survive, been more like Johnny Rambo.

Now that's one ugly fish having long fleshy whisker which resemble a cat's whiskers.   When caught, this fish make a noise that sounds a bit like a cat purring.  That's how the catfish got its name

Catfish is an animal strange behaviour activity which are often more active at night and sleeping during the day. It will come out after midnight and the sound may be heard when the catfish making splash in the water, sending echoes runs through building drain piping. Some catfishes have the ability to survive for quite a while out of the water, and this is largely due to their ability to breathe through their skin and also their gills which are kept moist.

Alas, the mystery has been solved!

After this mystery was revealed to all, their home's value has skyrocketed several folds. This lessons remind us to avoid jumping to conclusions. Always make a habit of taking a closer look on all angles, to be objective and not to pass judgement until there is no concrete proof. Seeing is believing, and it's most reliable way of knowing your house is haunted.

I remember a funny commercial which the hanger of clothing created some sort of illusion of a ghost when the fan blows the clothes off that scare the daylights out of that guy when he woke up at night. 

It's definitely too early to say...its a G-Ghooost!