Ancestral tablets: moving or finding a home

Three practical options, what to check before moving, and where to ask about a tablet service.

What is it, and who will look after it?

A shen zhu (神主) is a memorial plaque used when making offerings to a deceased person or ancestors; the Ministry of Education dictionary also lists 神主牌 as a name for it.

Take it with you: agree on family arrangements, then check transport and destination rules.
Leave it with relatives: confirm who is responsible, where it stays and how to contact them.
Ask a temple about a service: confirm what it provides before moving or disposing of an existing tablet.

Practical options to discuss with family, not ritual instructions.

Record what is written on it

As preparation, photograph the wording and record names and the responsible family member. Ask the relative or practitioner who arranged it to explain unfamiliar characters. Avoid rewriting names or discarding the tablet based on a generic template.

Taking a wooden tablet abroad

Check the actual material, airline baggage rules and destination biosecurity requirements. For example, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry requires wooden articles to meet import conditions and be declared. This is an Australian example, not a worldwide rule.

Wrapping it securely and agreeing who carries it are our practical suggestions. Ritual dates or ceremonies should be discussed with your family or practitioner.

If a new home has no room

Agree on a temporary safe place while exploring a longer-term arrangement. A temple’s tablet service may involve a newly made plaque; do not assume it will store an existing wooden object.

Two Hong Kong service examples

Chinese Temples Committee: spirit-tablet service. Its page, dated 14 August 2018, describes porcelain plaques at two temples, with five- or ten-year terms. Check current availability and terms directly.
Fung Ying Seen Koon: ancestral-tablet service. Its site lists memorial halls and application options. Ask about the process and whether your existing tablet can be accommodated.

These links are for direct enquiries, not endorsements or confirmation that either operator will accept your object. Ask about renewal, the person responsible, visits and what happens when the service ends.

Remembering someone without a tablet

A photograph, a written name or a few words can be a personal remembrance you choose. If you want it to form part of a particular religious rite, agree on that separately.

What our shop handles

Our service is paper-offering burning in Hong Kong, not tablet storage. A packet can use a name or a collective family form such as 陳門堂上歷代祖先. English names, romanisation and terms of address are accepted. See the order page for details and any intended Hong Kong date.

Sources and scope

Compiled by Shen Po Son. Practical suggestions are labelled above; a source describing one community is not a rule for every family. Checked 15 October 2026.