First Hong Kong Temple Worship their God Statues in Toy Figure Style
Remember HONGKONGUIDE has two vlogs about Temple Etiquette and self-fortune telling?
The shooting location is in Tsing Yi, called “Tai Wong Pak Kung Temple”. It is the only temple in Hong Kong which worships both ”Tai Wong” and “Pak Kung” gods. “Tai Wong” is believed to protect the mountains and ocean whereas ”Pak Kung” is believed to protect the land and people.
Tsing Yi is an island (many people didn’t notice that because the bridges between Tsing Yi and Kowloon are well connected) so in the old days the villagers living in Tsing Yi were mostly fishermen or farmers. That was why Tsing Yi had many temples worshipping gods like "Tin Hau" because the people hope that the gods can protect them from natural disasters. “Tai Wong Pak Kung Temple” is one of them.
This temple has the history of over a century which the 100-year-old statues are still inside the temple. The temple was relocated to the current address in 1977.
In 2022, the representatives of the temple, James and Leo Chan who are brothers, joined a local TV program called "Business X Change" organised by Viu TV. They were invited to collaborated with a team of local toy manufacturers - mo, Bear Planet and Leo to redesign the statues for the two gods, in order to attract the interest of the younger generation. After over two months' work. The new statues were completed and were placed inside the temple. The project was recorded by the TV program, which is in the language of Cantonese.
The new statues are adorable and instagrammable. They will be displayed on the 1st & 15th day of every month in lunar calendar. Visitors who are interested in seeing the statues can message HONGKONGUIDE via instagram or Facebook to check the exact dates of display.
There is one more thing. During the TV program, one of the hosts, "Monkey Mit" (Gladys) made a painting as a gift to the temple which is now displayed on one of the walls of the building. It tells the story of Tsing Yi and the temple, another instagram spot of the place!
#Note: Due to pandemic, the temple has been closed until further notice.
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