Ditch the shopping malls and skyscrapers and delve
into the city’s rich cultural heritage with a visit to one of Hong
Kong’s top five temples. Nowhere is better to learn all there is to know
about the hopes, dreams, fears and superstitions of this city’s
industrious urbanites – especially true during Chinese New Year and
important lunar calendar festival dates. While some places of worship
have been given a glossy new makeover, many of Hong Kong’s oldest
temples have been serving as important community gathering points for
hundreds of years.
5. Lam Tsuen Tin Hau Temple and Wishing Trees
This quaint collection of villages in Tai Po has been
drawing visitors to its Tin Hau Temple and two wishing trees for
hundreds of years. Traditionally, festival goers would write their
wishes on joss paper and tie it to an orange, which was then tossed up
towards one of the banyan tree’s highest boughs – the higher the branch
the better the odds of your wish coming true! As the practice became
more popular, authorities stepped in to help preserve the trees and
visitors are now encouraged to tie wishes to wooden racks nearby
instead. Steps away you’ll find a small Tin Hau temple, dedicated to the
Goddess of the Sea, which can typically be found in any ancient fishing
community in Hong Kong or along the Chinese coastline. Sit down with a
fortune teller here if you want to find out about that wish.
4. Man Mo Temple
Stepping into the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road is
like entering another world, a realm inhabited by the venerable deities
of Man (God of Literature) and Mo (God of War) who are worshiped here.
Rays of sunlight cut through the rising smoke of giant incense coils
hanging low from the ceiling and down onto the altars of the 10 judges
of the underworld. Make sure to take in all the details – the lines of
descending green Shekwan roof tiles represent bamboo and longevity,
while the antique sedan chairs inside were used to carry statues of the
gods during festival processions.
3. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Although calling itself a monastery, the name is a
bit of a misnomer as there are no resident monks at this eclectic Sha
Tin temple. Follow the steep winding path up the hillside, flanked by
500 life-sized Arhand statues to reach the main complex and its 9-story
pagoda. Here you’ll supposedly find more than 13,000 Buddha statues –
but at this point, who’s counting? – and a few bodhisattvas on horseback
for good measure. The main attraction, however, is the preserved body
of Yuet Kai, the monastery’s supremely devout founder. Embalmed in
lacquer, plastered with gold leaf and dressed in robes, the upright body
currently sits on display in a glass case inside the main monastery
building.
2. Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden
At Diamond Hill, only one subway stop away from the
Wong Tai Sin temple, you’ll find the peaceful and serene Chi Lin
Nunnery. In stark contrast to its colorful and brash Taoist neighbor,
the Buddhist nunnery exudes calm and tranquility with smooth stone
balustrades, lotus ponds and stunning wooden architecture. Inspired by
Japanese and Tang Dynasty temples, the elegant series of halls and
walkways were constructed without the use of nails, using a complex
design of counterweights and dowels. Across the road, the Nan Lian
Garden is a scenic oasis amid towering high-rise apartments looming up
along the hillside. A relaxing stroll past ancient bonsai trees, koi
ponds and meticulously landscaped gardens is the perfect antidote for
those needing some time out from the hustle and bustle of the city.
1. Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
With its bold, red pillars and ornamental
latticework, Wong Tai Sin displays all the qualities of the archetypal
Taoist Chinese temple. Colorful and noisy, worshipers come year round to
pray for good fortune and divine guidance from the “Great Immortal
Wong.” Crowds flock here during the Chinese New Year to offer incense,
make wishes and visit fortune tellers in hopes of an auspicious and
prosperous year to come. Visiting the temple during this time may be
interesting from a cultural perspective, but it is certainly not for the
faint-hearted. Throngs of people push their way through the winding
temple complex in a cloud of smoky incense towards the main altar and
gather around stalls selling charms and amulets of all shapes and sizes.
It is certainly a once in a lifetime experience, but alternatively, an
early morning weekday visit will serve just fine.
To Know more about Crossworld Holidays, visit - www.crossworldholidays.com
Contact Details.
Crossworld Holidays Tours & Travels (IATA approved)
Address : Grounf Floor, Ram Smruti,
Opp. to New English School,
Ram Maruti Road, Cross Road,
Thane (W) - 400602, India
Tel:+91 - 22 - 4038 4747
Fax:+91 - 22 - 2542 3427
E-mail: crossh@gmail.com
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