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RELIGION AND CUSTOM
at Joss House Bay on the Clear Water Bay Peninsula. Other leading deities include Pak Tai (Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven and local patron of the island of Cheung Chau) and Hung Shing (God of the South Seas and a weather prophet).
Notable temples in Hong Kong include the Wong Tai Sin Temple, named after a Taoist deity, Wong Tai Sin, located in the Wong Tai Sin District in Kowloon. Nearby, the Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill is a group of temple structures built in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. It is now open to the public every day except Wednesdays, following the completion of its redevelopment, and official opening in May. The Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is famous for the Tian Tan Buddha, which attracts a throng of visitors during the weekends and holidays. Other well-known temples include the Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin in the New Territories, and the Man Mo Temple in Hollywood Road on Hong Kong Island.
Confucianism
Confucianism is a belief in the teachings of Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu), who lived in ancient China from 551 to 479 BC. His teaching was based on a moral code for human relations with emphasis on the importance of tradition and rites. He was one of the most eminent thinkers of the time, whose philosophy has deeply influenced the political, economic and social systems of China. The major festival of Confucianism is the birthday of Confucius which falls on the 27th day of the eighth moon.
Confucians in Hong Kong have been deeply involved in education. They run a number of schools locally with the objective of teaching Confucian belief.
The Protestant Community
The presence of the Protestant community dates from 1841. About 300 000 Protestant Christians live in Hong Kong. The Protestant Church is made up of over 1 300 congregations in more than 50 denominations with many independent churches. The Baptists form the largest denomination, followed by the Lutherans. Other major denominations are Adventist, Anglican, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of Christ in China (representing the Presbyterian and Congregational traditions), Methodist, Pentecostal and Salvation Army. With their emphasis on youth work, many congregations have a high proportion of young people.
Protestant organisations operate three post-secondary institutions: Chung Chi College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University. They run 144 secondary schools, 192 primary schools, 273 kindergartens and 116 nurseries. They also operate 16 theological seminaries and Bible institutes, 16 Christian publishing houses and 57 Christian bookshops.
They run seven hospitals with 3 749 beds, 18 clinics and 59 social service organisations which provide a wide range of social services, including 227 community, family service and youth centres, 74 day care centres, 17 children's homes, 35 homes for the elderly, 106 centres for the elderly, two schools for the deaf and one for the blind, and 47 training centres for the mentally handicapped and disabled. There are also 15 camp sites. Five international hotel-type guest houses are managed by the YMCA and YWCA.
Ninety-six para-church agencies and various Christian action groups minister to the Protestant community and respond to current issues and concerns within Hong Kong