Chinese ancestral tablets in a Chinese shrine in Penang, Malaysia. In this form of ancestor worship -usually wooden- tablets, inscribed with the titles and names of deceased relatives, are preserved in a household shrine.

This altar-like, shrine may additionally have patron deities set up nearby too. Tablets usually vary in size and shape, and are enshrined according to the importance of the ancestor, with the center of the shrine being reserved for the tablet of the primary family ancestor. In addition to ancestor tablets, the edge of the shrine might also hold spirit tablets, i.e. tablets devoted to spirits that are believed to protect the family circle.