Wong Tai Sin

Description:

• Located six subway stops northeast of Yau Ma Tei in the far north end of Kowloon, Wong Tai Sin is Hong Kong's most popular Taoist temple and attracts worshippers of all three traditional Chinese religions: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Although the temple itself is less than 100 years old, it adheres to traditional Chinese architectural principles with its red pillars, two-tiered golden roof, blue friezes, yellow latticework, and multicolored carvings. Its construction also displays the six elements dictated by geomancy, namely bronze (the pavilion), metal (the archives hall), wood, water (a fountain), fire (Yue Heung Shrine, dedicated to the Buddha of Lighting Lamp), and earth (an earthen wall). The very popular temple attracts those seeking information about their fortunes -- from advice about business or horse racing to determining which day is most auspicious for a wedding. Most worshippers make use of a bamboo container holding numbered sticks. After lighting a joss stick and kneeling before the main altar, the worshipper gently shakes the container until one of the sticks falls out. The number corresponds to a certain fortune, which is then interpreted by one of the temple's many soothsayers.

  You can wander around the temple grounds, and visit the halls dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and to Confucius; the Good Wish Garden with ponds, an artificial waterfall, a replica of the famous Nine Dragons relief (the original is in Beijing's Imperial Palace), and circular, square, octagonal, and fan-shaped pavilions; and a clinic with both Western medical services and traditional Chinese herbal treatments. Sik Sik Yuen, the religious charity organization that oversees Wong Tai Sin, also runs homes for the elderly. Wong Tai Sin takes its name, in fact, from a legendary shepherd who learned the art of healing and pledged his life to help others. A visit to this temple, surrounded by vast, government housing estates, provides insight into Chinese religious practices of today and is well worth a stop despite its out-of-the-way location. Note: Wong Tai Sin is undergoing expansion to enlarge the main altar and add a new hall, with an expected completion in early 2010; until then, the main altar is closed, but an another hall is open for worship.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010