Wong Tai Sin temple and Kowloon Park

 

Today's travel post is about a couple of places we went to in Hong Kong. We stopped over there on the way to France. 

Wong Tai Sin Temple at Sik Sik Yuen is not just a tourist attraction.  It is a well patronized temple.  When we were there it was crowded with worshippers burning joss sticks and bowing.

 

Entrance to temple  

We found the temple quite easily using the MTR (Underground trains). You will find this fascinating temple not on Hong Kong Island but on the Kowloon side at Chuk Yuen Village, Wong Tai Sin 

 

There was a statue of a dragon by the entrance that everyone was stopping to stroke – presumably because that is lucky – hope so, since we did it too!

 

The temple was established by Taoists in 1921. The guiding principle of the temple is to Act Benevolently and to teach Benevolence. The temple originally was a private shrine but it was opened to the public in 1956. The temple worships Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism – none of which I know much about.

 

The temple was built along Feng Shui lines.  This is very common in Chinese buildings.

The main altar is for the worship of Master Wong Tai Sin (also known as the Great Immortal Wong) The temple is open from 7am to 5.30pm - it was hot!

 

Lamp Holding Statue

 

Yuk yik fountain – symbolising the element of water – has 7 lotuses 

If you want to know more about this temple, this is a link to its website. 

After visiting the temple we went by MTR to Kowloon Park -  this park is one of the many green spaces in Hong Kong.  For a place with so many people they have managed to retain lots of green.  The park was pretty but we were too hot to appreciate it properly. There was a sculpture section in the park as well as a pond with a fountain.