Man Mo Temple (Hong Kong)

Entrance of Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road

Man Mo Temple or Man Mo Miu is a Cantonese transliteration of Wen Wu temple (Chinese: 文武廟), a temple for the worship of the civil or literature god Man Tai (文帝) / Man Cheong (文昌) and the martial god Mo Tai (武帝) / Kwan Tai (關帝). The two gods were popularly patronized by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in the civil examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties.[1] There are several Man Mo Temples in Hong Kong, the best known of which is the temple in Sheung Wan.

Sheung Wan

Man Mo Temple complex, Hollywood Road. From left to right: Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple, Kung So.

The largest Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong is located at Nos. 124-126 Hollywood Road, in Sheung Wan. It was built in 1847.[1] It is part of a complex that comprises three adjacent blocks namely Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple (No. 128 Hollywood Road)[2] and Kung So. The Man Mo Temple, the main building of the complex, is dedicated to the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Kwan Tai. Lit Shing Kung (列聖宫) is for the worship of all heavenly gods. Kung So (公所), to its west, was an assembly hall where community affairs and disputes were settled.[3] In 1908, the Temple was officially entrusted to Tung Wah Board of Directors.[3] The temple has since been managed by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.[2] It was graded as a Grade I historic building in 1993 and it is now a declared monument.[4] . It is open from 8:00am to 6:00pm daily.

Tai Po

Man Mo Temple, Tai Po

The Man Mo Temple located in Fu Shin Street, Tai Po, was built in 1893[5] to mark the founding of Tai Wo Shi (Tai Wo Market Town, now commonly known as Tai Po Market). It has been listed as a declared monument of Hong Kong.[6]

Lantau

Situated at Pak Ngan Heung, in Mui Wo, Lantau Island,[7] this Man Mo Temple was rebuilt in 1958 by the Chinese Temples Committee to worship Man Cheong and Kwan Tai, the Civil God and the Martial God in Chinese legend.[8] It is not graded.

In popular culture

The Hollywood Road temple made an appearance in the video game Shenmue II for the Dreamcast and Xbox consoles. The temple and its grounds can be explored. However, its location in the video game is different from its true location.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items, pp.31-32
  2. 1 2 Tung Wah Group of Hospitals - Services Centres Information
  3. 1 2 Introduction to 1444 Historic Buildings, p.16
  4. ↑ Antiquities and Monuments Office - Man Mo Temple Compound, Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
  5. ↑ The Tai Po Book, p.37
  6. ↑ Antiquities and Monuments Office - Man Mo Temple, Tai Po
  7. ↑ Exploring Islands. Man Mo Temple, Mui Wo.
  8. ↑ Introduction to 1,444 Historic Buildings. Item #1429

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Man Mo Temple, Tai Po.

Coordinates: 22°17′02″N 114°09′01″E / 22.283982°N 114.150239°E / 22.283982; 114.150239

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