sai kung secrets
Tin Hau Temple turns 104 Nicole Slater tells the tale of the goddess of the sea
While strolling from Tai Hau Temple to Sai Kung Waterfront, you may have noticed five copper bells, along your journey. Designed by former senior government architect Raymond Fung Wing Kee, the bells act as a corridor to guide the goddess from the water to the temple. Tin Hau, whose name translates to heavenly queen, was a woman from the Song dynasty named Lin Mo. She was said to be able to predict the weather and protect fishermen caught in storms. After dying in a rescue attempt at the age of 28, Lin Mo became a goddess, protecting fishermen and sailors across the ocean.
Sai Kung’s Tai Hau Temple began its life in 1916 after a group of merchants from Sai Kung came together to fund and build a new temple. At the time, two temples existed in the town, one which housed the Goddess of the Sea and the other, which housed the God of war, Kwan Tai. The temples were a distance away from each other making it inconvenient for people wishing to pray to both deities. They decided to move the Kwan Tai Temple to the same location as Tin Hau. A new bigger temple was built to accommodate both deities and gave us the iconic landmark that sits in the town today.
The temple originally sat on Sai Kung’s waterfront, giving the Goddess a clear view over the ocean, but over the years the land was reclaimed, pushing the temple further into the town thus a corridor was created to guide the Goddess to and from the ocean. As the temple gears up to celebrate it’s 104th birthday this month, why not pay a visit to the Goddess, she may give you some luck on your next junk trip. Know of a Sai Kung secret? Email editorial@hongkongliving.com
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