Wong Tai Sin Temple
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Chinese deity, see Wong Tai Sin.
- For the area in Hong Kong, see Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong;
- For the administrative district in Hong Kong, see Wong Tai Sin District.
Wong Tai Sin Temple (Chinese: 黃大仙祠; pinyin: Huáng Dàxian Sì) is one of the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000-m² Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" (有求必應). The temple is located on the southern side of Lion Rock in the north of Kowloon and gave its name to the Wong Tai Sin district of Hong Kong.
Because of its historic significance, the Temple is graded as Grade II historic building.[1]
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[edit] History
In the early 20th century, Leung Renyan (梁仁庵) spread the influence of Wong Tai Sin from Qiaoshan (樵山), Guangxi province of China to Wan Chai, in Hong Kong. In 1921, under the advice of an enlightened one, they moved the temple to Rosy Garden, its current position. On the main altar of the temple stands the painting of him which was originally brought to Hong Kong from Guangdong province in 1915 and officially moved to this temple site in 1921.
[edit] Facilities
There is a Nine-Dragon Wall (九龍壁) modeled after one in Beijing. The Three-Saint Hall (三聖堂) is dedicated to Lü Dongbin, Guan Yin, and Lord Guan. Containing a portrait of Confucius, the Taoist temple has a collection of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist literature.
[edit] Traditions
Annually, from January 1 to 15, the temple receives numerous visitors, such as those whose prayers were answered returning to thank the immortal. Wong Tai Sin's birthday—the 23rd day of the eighth lunar month—and the Chinese New Year are both busy times for the temple. On the Chinese New Year's Eve, thousands of worshippers wait outside the temple before midnight and rush in to the main altar to offer Wong Tai Sin their glowing incense sticks when the year comes. They believe that the earlier they offer the incense, the better luck will they have that year.
Some of the visitors come to have their fortunes told. They light incense sticks, kneels before the main altar, makes a wish, and shakes a bamboo cylinder containing fortune sticks until a stick falls out. This stick is exchanged for a piece of paper bearing the same number, and then the soothsayer will interpret the fortune on the paper for the worshipper.
Recently, Taoist weddings are performed here.
[edit] Operation
The temple is open from 7:00am to 5:30pm throughout the year, and runs overnight in the Lunar New Year Eve. It is currently administrated by Sik Sik Yuen, a Taoist organization in Hong Kong.
[edit] See also
