Wong Tai Sin Temple

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Wong Tai Sin Temple

Winnie and I needed to make our trip official by visiting some type of historical landmark in Hong Kong. Non-stop shopping in Causeway Bay doesn’t count. So, my mother suggested Wong Tai Sin temple for a little fortune telling. Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous temples in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. Wong Tai Sin is know as a great healer of physical health, but also the health of relationships and business. How could we resist? So, its off to the southern side of Lion Rock in northern Kowloon!

All visitors must "bai son" (pay their respects with incense) before entering the temple.

The area where the Wong Tai Sin temple is located is very different than my mother had remembered the last time she visted the temple over 40 years ago. She distinctly remembers a secluded farm village with a dirt road that lead to the temple and the pungent smell of human manuer that was once used to fertilize vegatables. (For those of you who know my mom…”Oh, so stink!”) The temple is now surrounded by sky scraping apartments, schools and markets.

Temple surrounded by sky scraping housing

Wong Tai Sin Temple is located in Kowloon, which means 9 dragons. The name Kowloon came from the nine dragons represented by eight peaks and a Chinese emperor: Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate’s Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn Ridge, Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Crow’s Nest and Emperor Bing.

The nine dragons of Kowloon

Turtles are said to symbolize longevity and one’s hope and wish for a long life. It is believed that if you drop a coin on a turtle’s back that your wish will come true. Hence, all the coins in the water.

Make a wish!

Again, for those of you who know my mom this won’t be a surprise. She decided to take the wish making a bit further and take a turtle out of the water in hopes that it would make her wish come true. Gotta love her!