SINGAPORE – Move over, Labubu and Sonny Angel.
The blind box craze now appears to have reached places of worship, with figurines and amulets of Taoist deities, and their magical weapons, up for grabs.
Videos making the rounds online already show a blind box vending machine dispensing various lucky charms and trinkets at the Sembawang God of Wealth Temple in Admiralty.
And to increase engagement with visitors and devotees, and attract the young, Hiang Tong Keng, a Taoist temple in Tampines, has embraced the trend by rolling out “blessings” blind boxes for Chinese New Year 2026.
Each box contains any one of 13 items, including figurines of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, and Guan Gong, the god of war.
Visitors who want the boxes have to answer questions printed on a foldable challenge card, which is given to them after a $2 donation.
The answers to questions like which deity holds a dragon head staff can be found in the temple grounds.
For every three tasks completed, with each task mostly linked to answering a question, participants can collect a blind box. Participants who visit the temple and attempt to answer questions over several days can collect up to four boxes per person.
This initiative has been part of Hiang Tong Keng’s strategy since 2024 to widen its appeal, especially to young people.
The temple was founded more than a century ago, and was located in Coldstream Avenue in the Siglap area before moving to its current site in Tampines Link.
