Three historic temples declared monuments (with photos)

The Government today (October 24) announced that the Antiquities Authority (i.e. the Secretary for Development) has declared Lin Fa Temple in Tai Hang, Hung Shing Temple in Ap Lei Chau and Hau Wong Temple in Kowloon City as monuments under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. The three historic temples are currently managed by the Chinese Temples Committee. The notice of the declaration was gazetted today.

Lin Fa Temple was probably constructed in 1863. It is not only the oldest Kwun Yam Temple on Hong Kong Island, but is also an important historic landmark in the Tai Hang area and has a strong association with the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. On the 14th day of the eighth lunar month every year, the "fire dragon" (made of joss sticks arranged in a dragon-shaped form) is first blessed by Kwun Yam (the Goddess of Mercy) of Lin Fa Temple before the fire dragon is paraded throughout the Tai Hang area. This traditional event, which has a history of over one hundred years, was inscribed onto China's Third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.

The architecture of Lin Fa Temple is unique. The front hall is in half-octagonal shape with a double-eaves-tended roof. Different from other two-hall Chinese temples which have a courtyard in between, the front hall of Lin Fa Temple is connected to its main (rear) hall without an internal courtyard in between. Access to the temple is through two staircases on the left and right ends of the front hall, unlike the design of other conventional Chinese temples which have a main entrance in the middle of the facade. There are still many relics kept in the temple, such as Shiwan ceramic figurines (1863) on the main ridge, a granite crafted offering table (1864), a temple bell (1865) and a wooden caimen (1909).

Hung Shing Temple in Ap Lei Chau was probably built by the local community in 1773 for the worship of Hung Shing, a popular deity protecting fishermen and marine traders. It is one of the very few traditional temples with exquisite craftsmanship that still keeps its original sea-orientated fung shui setting and close association with the local community. It has been the main temple in Ap Lei Chau since its establishment. The Hung Shing Festival, which takes place on the 13th day of the second lunar month every year, is still widely celebrated every year by both the land-based and boat-based populations in the area with offerings, procession of the statues of Hung Shing and other deities, lion and dragon dances, traditional Chaozhou music and Cantonese opera performances and other ritual activities.

The temple is a typical Qing vernacular two-hall-three-bay building, with a courtyard covered with a pavilion in-between the two halls and two side chambers on its left and right. The temple is widely decorated with exquisite historic Shiwan ceramic figurines and fine wood carvings, particular those on the wooden brackets of the covered courtyard and the parapet walls of the chambers on both sides of the internal courtyard. The vivid ceramic figurines of the God of the Sun and Goddess of the Moon at the end of the gable ridges of the entrance hall are also very impressive. In front of the temple, there are two timber poles painted with a dragon pattern which are rare in Hong Kong. Locals call them "dragon poles", and it is believed that they were erected for protecting the fung shui of the area.

Hau Wong Temple in Kowloon City is not only the main temple in the area, but also one of very few temples in Hong Kong still keeping a rich collection of historic relics related to the Kowloon Walled City. The exact year of construction of Hau Wong Temple is not known. With reference to the temple bell which was cast in the 8th year of Yongzheng's reign (1730) of the Qing dynasty, the temple was probably built in or before 1730.

Hau Wong Temple was patronised by Qing officials and soldiers when the Kowloon Walled City was still in existence and guarding the territories between 1847 and 1899. A stone tablet engraved in the 9th year of Xianfeng's reign (1859) in the temple indicates a donation by officials from the offices of the Assistant Magistrate of Kowloon and Dapeng Brigade for the renovation of the temple. Other relics like the incense burner donated by Xu Wenshen, the first Assistant Magistrate of Kowloon, in 1847, and a number of timber plaques donated by the military officials of the Kowloon Walled City are still kept in the temple. The most famous relic is the stone inscription of the Chinese character for crane dated 1888 at the back of the temple.  

The Hau Wong Temple compound consists of the main temple building with later added side chambers, pavilions and stone inscriptions, all standing on a terrace with granite steps leading to the ground level. There is a detached pavilion with hip-and-gable roof supported by granite columns and wooden brackets awkwardly standing in front of the temple. The temple is a two-hall-one-courtyard Chinese vernacular building with later added side chambers at its right. The internal courtyard of the side chambers is decorated with exquisite Shiwan ceramic figurines. The stepped gables of the rear hall in the style of "five peaks paying tribute to heaven" is a very rare design and seldom found in Hong Kong.

Information on the three monuments is available on the heritage conservation website of the Development Bureau (www.heritage.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, October 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:20

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