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Religion and Custom
DESPITE a fast-paced commercial lifestyle, a wide range of spiritual beliefs and religious customs are interwoven with the fabric of daily existence in Hong Kong. Of the 17 statutory holidays in the territory, 11 involve religious worship.
The majority of believers are followers of Buddhism and Taoism. Although five of the statutory holidays are renowned Chinese festivals, they continue their worship throughout the year, especially during the numerous other festivals and on the first and 15th days of the lunar month.
While many devotees profess Buddhism and Taoism, a diversity of religious life co-exists in absolute harmony, with the world's major religions and many smaller religious groups represented by active communities. During Hong Kong's early history, a large number of Christian churches, as well as mosques, Hindu and Sikh temples, and a synagogue, were established where believers can profess their own faith.
Buddhism and Taoism
Hong Kong possesses more than 360 Buddhist and Taoist temples, some being centuries old and containing priceless antiques, while others are of more recent construction but built according to traditional design. Under the Chinese Temples Ordinance all temples have to be registered. The Chinese Temples Committee is responsible for the management and maintenance of public Chinese temples and, through the ordinance, has helped to ensure the survival of even small neighbourhood temples amid intense redevelopment in many areas. Most of Hong Kong's temples and monasteries are open to the public.
Although each temple is generally dedicated to one or two deities, it is usual to find the images of a number of gods or goddesses inside. Furthermore, there is a tendency for Buddhist deities to be located in Taoist temples, and vice versa, since Buddhism and Taoism, although basically two different faiths, are often regarded by devotees as similar in that they both involve the practice of sacred rites of traditional origin.
A large number of households have ancestral shrines while countless shops have a God Shelf, supporting images of one or more of the hundreds of divinities. With religious observances being carried out at home, many people reserve temple-going for festivals and special occasions - for example, when observing the traditional rites associated with birth, marriage and death - and at the time of a new or full moon.
Since Hong Kong people have always been dependent on the sea, first for fishing and later for trade, the most popular deities are those connected with the sea and the weather. Tin Hau, the Queen of Heaven and Protector of Seafarers, is said to be worshipped by 250 000 people. There are at least 24 Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong, the first and most famous being the one in Joss House Bay near Fat Tong Mun. Many of the Tin Hau temples, which were originally built near the sea, are now some distance inland as a result of reclamation.