Program: Wong Tai Sin Temple, Kowloon Walled City Park

Wong Tai Sin Temple, which gives the district its name, is nowadays one of Hong Kong s best known cultural landmarks, probably the most well-known and busiest temple in the city, although it is only within the last century, that the name has come to prominence.

It was in 1915 that a portrait of the deity Wong Tai Sin was first brought to Hong Kong from a mainland temple, to be worshipped in a temple in Wan Chai. Since then it has attracted a growing local following, because Wong Tai Sin is known to be a deity of giving, who will always grant a worshipper s wish. The present Wong Tai Sin temple was built at Sik Sik Yuen in 1921 and has since been extensively enlarged and refurbished. The current temple is an excellent example of a traditional Chinese temple. Its major attractions include the main hall and Sam Shing Tong which is devoted to Lu Dong Bin, Kwun Yam (Goddess of Mercy) and Guan Di, a general revered for his fairness, righteousness and scholarly knowledge. There is also a portrait of the great Confucius.
Most people visiting the temple come to assess their fortune by using fortune sticks, and there are even some of English speaking soothsayers who can help visitors interpret the fortune sticks.

A Few areas of Hong Kong have a richer historical background than the Kowloon Walled City Park, originally the site of a walled fort.
A senior mandarin commanded the garrison with his own administrative headquarters in an official "Yamen". While not particularly distinctive to look at, being a rectangular structure with a typical tiled roof, a Yamen represented the power of the Emperor as passed down to the Mandarin in charge, and so was both highly respected and feared by those who passed it.
The cleared site was then transformed into the beautiful Chinese park and garden which today delights visitors from all over the world. It is built in the classical Jiangnan style and its features include a Garden of the Chinese Zodiac, a Mountain View Pavilion and a Hill Top Pavilion.

End of Service!