Temples |
The Goddess of Sea and Fishermen |
Feng Shui and Astrology
In keeping with the cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong
society, its religious mix is ecumenical and most of the world's religions are represented. The dominant
religions in Hong Kong are Buddhism and Daoism; over 600 temples, monasteries and shines can be found
throughout the area. Confucianism, ancestor worship, fortunetelling and animist beliefs have been
incorporated into many of the Daoist and Buddhist establishments. Both Catholic and Protestant Christianity
are represented with each having between 250,000-300,000 adherents. The Indian community is represented
by a number of Hindu temples to various gods, while at least 50,000 Muslims, of Chinese, South or Southeast
Asian origin worship in four principal mosques. Small numbers of Sikhs and Jews can also be found.
It can be difficult to distinguish the beliefs of the
Buddhist, Daoist and local cult temples in Hong Kong as they are often quite eclectic, with Buddhist temples
also having shrines to Daoist dieties and vice versa. Each temple also offers services such as
fortunetelling, feng shui (placement of buildings and tombs according to the principles of orienting
these to the currents of the land), funeral and memorial services, etc. The Chinese in Hong Kong are much
less concerned with the philosophies of Buddha, Confucius, or Laozi and much more concerned with religion
as an aid to personal and business success, with the contact and appeasement of the dead and the spirits,
and with seeking of knowledge about the future. Thus, their attitude towards religion is both eclectic
and practical. Visits to temples are usually made to ask blessings for particular events such as the
recovery of an ill family member, the success of a new business venture, the passing of exams by students,
etc. Both the principles of Feng Shui and the Chinese Zodiac are important in planning new ventures,
choosing auspicious dates for weddings, funerals, trips, etc, or for selecting burial sites and ancestral
shrines.
Temples
There are both private and public temples in Hong Kong;
over 40 are maintained by the Chinese Temples Committee, whose income is donated by worshippers. It is
common to make donations when visiting any temple and these funds are used for temple maintenance and
activities. Most temples are dedicated to one of the many deities of either the Daoist or Buddhist
pantheon; images of these deities can usually be found in the main hall, side halls house statues of
subsidiary gods. Both Buddhist and Daoist deities are often honored in the same temple. Many of the
temples are small and quite dark, due to the incense which seems to burn constantly.
One of the most important and most frequently
visited temples is the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island which houses the world's largest outside seated
bronze Buddha statue. The Po Lin Monastery was first established in 1924 and bills itself as the
"Buddhist Kingdom of the South." The main temple is dedicated to the Buddhas of the Past, Present and
Future and these three statues are found within. From its front gate, the 112 ft. high Sakyamuni bronze
Buddha statue on the top of Muyu Mountain can be seen. This statue weighs 250 metric tons and it has a
long staircase of 268 steps leading up to the pedestal upon which the statues sites; the pedestal itself is
three stories high. Inside is a huge bell, carved with scenes of the Buddha's life which is governed by a
computer in a marriage of tradition and high-technology. This computer rings the bell once every 7 minutes,
108 times a day to "relieve 108 vexations" in the world.
For a description of life in this monastery by a
Westerner, please click on the following:
http://westernChanFellowship.org/reading/ncf18LifeAtPoLamChanMonastery.html
One of the largest and most important Daoist temples
in Hong Kong is Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon. Founded in 1921, this temple was named in honor of a Daoist
disciple and shepherd. Wong apparently was known for his good deeds, particularly his care for the poor
and troubled and his ability to heal illness. This temple is most famous for its fortunetellers and most
people who come to the temple to worship have their fortunes told. This is done by shaking a wooden tube
filled with slender sticks. Upon each stick is a number corresponding to a fortune written in Classical
Chinese. After praying to the deity and framing a question, the petitioner shakes the tube until one of
the sticks falls out. This stick is then taken to a booth, whereupon the matching fortune is given to the
seeker. He/she then takes this fortune to one of the many fortune interpreters who have tables at the
temple; they in turn explain the meaning of the fortune in terms of the questions or problems of the
petitioner. This is one of the busiest temples in Hong Kong.
For an interesting description of this temple and
pictures, please click on the following:
http://www.travellady.com/articles/article-wongtai.html
Another important and often visited Buddhist temple
is the temple in Sha Tin (New Territories) called The Temple of 10,000 Buddhas. This temple, which is
located on a hilltop over 400 steps up from the train station, has its temple walls stacked with images of
the Buddha. There are actually over 13,000 images in this temple.
For a series of pictures of this temple, please
click on the following:
http://www.pooldemon.com/journeytoasia/10000buddhastemple.php
One of Hong Kong's oldest and most atmospheric
temples is the Man Mo temple, built in 1841. Man Mo in Cantonese means "Civil and Miltary" and the
temple is dedicated to the gods of literature and war. While these may seem like an unusual combination,
the pairing of these two gods is common throughout China, just as the pairing of military and civilian
officials in the spirit pathways leading to the tombs of emperors and officials is common. Both activities:
protection and civil administration, were essential components of good government and thus are seen as
related. The ceiling of the temple is full of huge hanging incense cones and the temple is constantly full
of incense. In the front of the temple are small sedan chairs which were used to transport the statues of
the gods around Hong Kong during ceremonies.
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The first Catholic Church was established in Hong
Kong in 1841 and it was soon followed by the Church of England and other Protestant denominations. The
churches sponsored Bible translations and missionary work in China; they established schools and colleges
and a number of important Chinese graduated from these mission schools. Perhaps the most famous was Dr. Sun
Yat-sen, the Father of Modern China, who graduated from mission-sponsored higher education in Hong Kong.
The oldest mosque in Hong Kong is the Janilia Mosque which was first built in the mid-19th century and
rebuilt in 1915. The most famous is the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Center on Nathan Road in Kowloon.
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The Goddess of Sea and Fishermen
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The most important deity in Hong Kong is Tin Hau,
or Matsu, the goddess of the sea and of fisherman. She is the most worshipped goddess in all of South
China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Tin Hau began life, according to legend, as the youngest daughter of a
Song Dynasty( 11-13th centuries) fisherman. As a young girl she had the ability to forecast the weather,
which was very useful to her family. She often went into trances and was very devout. One day, while she
was working at her loom, a storm came up when her father and brothers were at sea. Suddenly she went into
a trance; her mother became frightened and shook her awake. While in the trance, according to legend, she
had flown to the site of her father's boat, which was floundering in the heavy storm, and lifted her father
and all but her youngest brother to safety; when her mother woke her, she dropped her youngest brother who
drowned. After this "miracle" and others, she became deified as a local goddess of the sea upon her death.
Her fame spread and finally Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (17th Century) made her the official
protector of fishermen and bestowed upon her the title Tian Hao (Tin Hau in Cantonese) which means Empress
of Heaven.
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Feng Shui and Astrology
The term Feng Shui literally means Wind and Water.
Feng Shui is the art of orienting buildings, roads, tombs, etc, with the "lay of the land" to bring
prosperity, and repel evil. It has been used in China for over 2500 years and has an important role in
land-poor Hong Kong. Many businesses call in Feng Shui practitioners to ensure their success, both before
and after building. All Chinese cities are oriented according to these principles and so are houses and
apartment buildings even today. Essentially, East and South are the directions of warmth and good fortune;
West and North the directions of cold, death and ill fortune. Thus doors and windows should open to the
East and South; the North especially should have no door. Since South is the direction of fire, the
kitchen should be placed as far from the South as possible, preferably in the North, to minimize the danger
of fire. Likewise, since North is the direction of water, the bathroom should be placed away from this
direction to prevent flooding or plumbing problems.
If you want to know more about the principles of
Feng Shui, the following site is useful, although it is a commercial site:
http://www.168fengshui.com/Articles/whatis.htm
Chinese astrology has governed life in China for
several thousand years and astrologers determine everything from the dates of weddings to the names of
children. The system is based on 12 Zodiac signs which are associated with both animals and elements
(water, metal, wood, fire, and earth). Thus the 12 animal signs, combined with the 5 element signs, make
a 60 year cycle. To reach one's 60th birthday was a time for great celebration in China. The signs under
which one was born have a direct correlation to one's future, including whom one should marry, the business
one should pursue, what one should study, etc.
If you would like to learn more about the Chinese
Zodiac and have fun with the calendar, please click on the following site:
http://member.newsguy.com/~twilight/ch.htm
