The altars of Se Chek on the streets in Macao are mostly dedicated to the Se (God of Soil) and the Chek (God of Grain), and the name of Se can be found on some tablets. This folk system of worshipping Se is recorded in many historical documents. For example, according to the Rites of Zhou, “one Se consists of twenty-five households.” This reflects that Se used to be an essential regional organization unit and it was also established for worship activities in a certain area in ancient times. Chek, on the other hand, refers to the God of Grain in a locality. Se and Chek are often used together as one term. According to Liji-Liyun (the Book of Rites — The Conveyance of Rites), “state rulers make sacrifices to Se Chek” refering to the God of Soil and Grain overseeing the land where these ancient rulers governing. Se Chek can also refer to political power in the context of the ancient agricultural society. According to Libu Zhigao (the Draft of the treatise on the Ministry of Rites) in the Ming dynasty, “prefectures and counties should set up Se Chek, where officials offer sacrifices to the God of Soil and the God of Grain…”.
It is not difficult to tell from above that the set-up and distribution of altars of Se Chek in Macao still reflect the ancient tradition of establishing Se as regional administrative units in the past. (Photo Taken at Beco da Ostra)