Incense coils inside Man Mo, perhaps Hong Kong's most famous temple |
For many years, China's "front office" was my "back yard."
I lived in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong--inches away but years ahead of China's development at the time (but the common wisdom is that, as China surges ahead, Hong Kong is being forced to revert to Chinese ways--witness the use of Mandarin in many schools there, to the exclusion of English, a "Sinification" that will negatively affect Hong Kong's long-time global edge).
When I first arrived in the Mainland, I was given the impression that there was only "one temple in Shenzhen" (I have since visited upwards of 40, and still have a pretty good list of others). So I was delighted to learn that temples were plentiful in our neighbor to the south.
I immediately set out to find them. First, I sent an email to each of Hong Kong's 18 districts. Within two weeks, every one of them had answered--though not always with the list I had requested. However, one of them did send me two documents that covered the entire SAR (Special Administrative Region): the first gives details on 39 sites, the second just names and addresses (both in English and Chinese characters) and phone numbers for a whopping 350 sites (there are said to be over 600). You can download either of these if you wish from my Downloads page.
Spiffy logo, huh? |
So in high hopes I created the "Hong Kong Temple Project" and boldly announced to the world that I would:
- locate and list all Chinese temples within the Hong Kong S.A.R.
- record the layout and describe the images in each temple
- disseminate this information to the public through the Internet and through English-language information available at each temple
- write articles, books, and pamphlets promoting understanding of these temples
- serve as a resource for temple information in English
Aaaand I didn't. Life took swerves, I found more temples in the Mainland than I expected, yadda yadda yadda.
Still, I did see some great stuff in Hong Kong--which I'll share here--right up until the last month I lived in Shenzhen, when, to celebrate my 60th birthday with a few close friends, I finally visited that Big Buddha everyone talks about.
But there are still many more to see. And ya know, Hong Kong is just a hop and skip (not even a jump) from where I live now: 15 minutes from here to the airport and two hours in the air, for around a hundred and fifty bucks--very doable!
The List: Notes:
- This list is a mash-up of the "short list" of 39 mentioned above, plus a few more from an excellent Hong Kong government site. I'm sure I'll be adding more as I run across them in my files.
- An effort has been made to give a version of the very malleable local Romanizations (e.g. miu for Hanyu Pinyin miao, meaning "temple"). The Chinese characters should help those interested in finding the Pinyin; they generally follow the site names given in Google Maps.
- Lo Pan Miu (魯班先師廟, Luban Xianshi Miao) Kennedy Town, Central and Western District (map)
- Man Mo Miu (文武廟, Wen Wu Miao) Sheung Wan, Central & Western District (map)
- Shing Wong Miu (城隍廟, Cheng Huang Miao) Shau Kei Wan, Eastern District (map)
- Tam Kung Miu (譚公廟, Tangong Miao) Shau Kei Wan, Eastern District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Shau Kei Wan, Eastern District (map)
- Yuk Wong Kung Tin (玉皇宮殿, Yuhuang Gongdian) Shau Kei Wan, Eastern District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Aberdeen, Southern District (map)
- Hung Shing Miu (洪聖廟, Hongsheng Miao) Ap Lei Chau, Southern District (map)
- Kwun Yum Miu (觀音廟, Guanyin Miao) Ap Lei Chau, Southern District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Stanley, Southern District (map)
- Kwun Yum Tsz (觀音寺, Guanyin Si) Stanley, Southern District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Causeway Bay, Wan Chai District (map)
- Lin Fa Kung (蓮花宮, Lianhua Gong) Tai Hang, Wan Chai District (map)
- Hung Shing Miu (洪聖廟, Hongsheng Miao) Wan Chai, Wan Chai District (map)
- Pak Tai Miu (北帝廟, Beidi Miao) Wan Chai, Wan Chai District (map)
- Hau Wong Miu (侯王廟, Hou Wang Miao) Kowloon City, Kowloon City District (map)
- Kwun Yum Miu (觀音廟, Guanyin Miao) Hung Hom, Kowloon City District (map)
- Mo Tai Miu (武帝廟, Wudi Miao) Sham Shui Po, Sham Shui Po District (map)
- Sam Tai Tze & Pak Tai Miu (三太子, 北帝廟, San Taizi, Beidi Miao) Sham Shui Po, Sham Shui Po District (map)
- Chi Lin Ching Yuen (志蓮淨苑, Zhi Lian Jingyuan) Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin District (map)
- Fat Jong Tsz (法藏寺, Fazang Si) Wong Tai Sin, Wong Tai Sin District (map)
- Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Chi (嗇色園 黃大仙祠, Sese Yuan Huang Daxian Ci) Wong Tai Sin, Wong Tai Sin District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Yau Ma Tei, Yau Tsim Mong District (map)
- Cheung Shan Ku Tsz (長山古寺, Chang Shan Gu Si) Fanling, North District (map)
- Fung Ying Seen Koon (蓬瀛仙館, Peng Ying Xian Guan) Fanling, North District (map)
- Che Kung Miu (車公古廟, Chegong Gumiao) Ho Chung, Sai Kung District (map)
- Hung Shing Miu (洪聖古廟, Hong Sheng Gu Miao) Sai Kung, Sai Kung District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Joss House Bay, Fat Tong Mun, Sai Kung District (map)
- Che Kung Miu (車公廟, Chegong Miao) Tai Wai, Sha Tin District (map)
- Man Mo Miu (文武廟, Wen Wu Miao) Tai Po, Tai Po District (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Lam Tsuen, Tai Po District (map)
- Chuk Lam Sim Yuen (竹林襌院, Zhulin Chan Si) Tsuen Wan, Tsuen Wan District (map)
- Yuen Yuen Institute (圓玄學院, Yuan Xuan Xueyuan) Tsuen Wan, Tsuen Wan District (map)
- Ching Chung Koon (青松觀, Qingsong Guan) Tuen Mun, Tuen Mun District (map)
- Miu Fat Tsz (妙法寺, Miaofa Si) Tuen Mun, Tuen Mun District (map)
- Hung Shing Miu (洪聖廟, Hongsheng Miao) Cheung Chau (map)
- Kwan Kung Chung Yi Ting (關公忠義亭, Guangong Zhongyi Ting) Cheung Chau (map)
- Pak Tai Miu (北帝廟, Beidi Miao) Cheung Chau (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Sai Wan, Cheung Chau (map)
- Tin Hau Miu (天后廟, Tianhou Miao) Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island (map)
- Hau Wong Miu (侯王廟, Hou Wang Miao) Tung Chung, Lantau Island (map)
- Kwun Yum Tsz (觀音寺, Guanyin Si) Tai O, Lantau Island (map)
- Ling Yin Shim Tsz (靈隱禪寺, Lingyin Chan Si) Lantau Island (map)
- Po Lin Sin Tsz and Tin Tan Tai Fat (寶蓮禪寺, 天壇大佛, Bao Lian Chan Si, Tiantan Da Fo) Lantau Island (map)
- Yeung Hau Wong Miu (楊侯王廟, Yang Hou Wang Miao) Lantau Island (map)
- Sin Zi (Seven Sisters) Miu (仙姐廟, Xianjie Miao) Peng Chau (map)
- Tin Hau Kung (天后宮, Tianhou Gong) Peng Chau (map)
- Kam Fa Miu (金花廟, Jinhua Miao) Peng Chau (map)
- Lung Mo Miu (龍母廟, Longmu Miao) Peng Chau (map)
Google Map:
Controls:
- Use + /- or mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
- Click to close the hand to move around.
- (The two functions above are accomplished with two fingers on mobile devices.)
- Click the square-with-arrow on the left to open or close the index of sites. (Works better if you zoom in first.)
- Click the three-dot thingy in the upper right to share the map with others.
- Click the "four corners" in the upper right to go to the full map.
Last updated July 12, 2019
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