11 must-visit temples in Hong Kong
Find serenity in the midst of the city’s hustle and bustleThe cliché of a busy Hong Konger popping into a neighbourhood temple to offer incense before heading off to work is somewhat overused. But, there’s no doubt that temples are everywhere in Hong Kong. Whether it’s to ask for something of the gods, to send offerings to ancestors or to mark a festival or ceremony, temples are undeniably an integral part of Hong Kong life. Here are our favourites to visit:
Man Mo Temple
Included in almost every Hong Kong guide book, Man Mo Temple attracts tourists and locals alike. It’s central location on Hollywood Road, 19th-century architecture, and long curling incense sticks make for a must-visit for locals and visitors alike.
Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2540 0350.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
This large temple is home to deities from Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. It is also a popular location to worship on festivals such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. The fortune telling is notoriously accurate. And, some of the gods promise to make any wish come true upon request.
2 Chuk Yuen Village, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon, 2327 8141
Po Lin Monastery
Hidden away atop the lush mountains of Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantau, Po Lin monastery is one of the region’s most important, and most grand religious sites. It is also accompanied by a 34-metre high bronze Buddha statue sitting atop a neighbouring peak. And, a cable car offering fantastic views has secured the location as must-go destination for pilgrims and tourists alike.
Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, 2985 5248
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Not only is this vast complex of temples, pavillions and pagodas not actually a monastery (no monks lives here) but its also home to alot more than 10,000 Buddhas. More than 12,800 Buddha statues, all with different faces, line the main hall of the complex and are dotted around the temple’s forest setting. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes, there’s 430 steps up to the main hall and you might have to dodge one of. the resident monkeys.
221 Pai Tau Village, Sha Tin
Lo Pan Temple
This tiny Buddhist temple in Kennedy Town is the only one dedicated to deity of builders and carpenters. Constructed in 1884, the wealth of murals and poetry on the temple’s walls are also the perfect example of the richness of Hong Kong neighbourhood temples.
15 Ching Lin Terrace, Li Po Lung Path, Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, 2802 2880
Chi Lin Monastery
Located inside Nan Lian Garden, this Tang Dynasty-style Buddhist temple complex is sure to sooth the soul with its ornate gardens offering a welcome contrast to the endless high rises of Diamond Hill. The 3.5 hector urban garden is filled with meticulously designed ornate timber structures, rockeries and pools with lotus flowers.
60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, 3658 9366
Tin Hau Temple, Stanley
Tucked in the shadow of Stanley Plaza, an ancient temple dedicated to Tin Hau (goddess of the sea) is a sign of Stanley’s past as a fishing village. The skin of what is believed to be the last tiger shot in Hong Kong hangs on the temple wall. What’s more, a sign tells visitors it “weighted 240 pounds, was 73 inches long, and three feet high [and] shot by an Indian policeman, Mr. Rur Singh, in front of Stanley Police Station in the year 1942”.
End of Stanley Main Street, 2813 0282
Read more: Your guide to Chinese New Year festivities
Tin Hau Temple, Yau Ma Tei
Urban Yau Ma Tei, hundreds of metres from the harbour, may seem like an unlikely location for this colourful temple dedicated to the sea goddess Tin Hau. But, the ancient temple’s location is actually a subtle indicator of Hong Kong’s centuries of development and massive land reclamation — when it was built in 1864 it stood on the shoreline. The city’s sailors and fisherman also continue to visit the temple.
56-58 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, 2385 0759
Yuen Yuen Institute
The name may not sound very exciting. But, this vast monastery and temple complex in the mountains above Tsuen Wan is one of Hong Kong’s most grand peaceful religious sites. The monastery’s design is inspired by traditional Chinese palaces. Halls of yellow roofs and red columns stretch back and up into the mountains.
Sam Dip Tam, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, 2492 2220
Pak Tai Temple, Cheung Chau
A must-visit for those of you spending a day at charming outlying island Cheung Chau. Built in honour of Pak Tai, the Taoist god of the sea, the serene 200-year-old temple is considered a cultural gem for its gold-played woodcraft, sculpted dragons on the roof and an iron sword dating back to the Song Dynasty. But, it is far less serene when it plays host to Cheung Chau’s annual Bun Festival – a highlight of the Hong Kong calendar where people race to climb to the top of a tower of steamed buns.
End of Pak She Street, Cheung Chau, 2981 0663.
Seven Sisters Temple
Young women hoping to start a family travel to this far-flung Buddhist temple. It is located on the laidback island of Peng Chau, one of Hong Kong’s smallest inhabited islands. It is busiest during the Seven Sisters festival which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, often referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Pak Wan, Peng Chau
