XN000022-1976-08-22 — Page 1

HK 香港政府 GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 1976

REPAIRS TO THREE ANCIENT TEMPLES

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT TO GIVE A FACELIFT AND CARRY OUT REPAIRS TO THREE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THEY ARE THE TIN HAU TEMPLE AT SOK KWU WAN, SOUTH LAMMA, THE HAU WONG TEMPLE AT TUNG CHUNG ON LANTAU ISLAND AND THE TUNG CHUNG FORT.

AT THE REQUEST OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE, ISLANDS, THE CHINESE TEMPLES COMMITTEE HAS MADE GRANTS OF MORE THAN $50,000 FOR RESTORATION WORK ON THE TWO TEMPLES WHILE SMALLER CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ALSO BEING MADE BY LOCAL RESIDENTS.

THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER, ISLANDS, MR. THOMAS CHAN, SAID TODAY THAT WORK IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY. →BOTH TEMPLES NEED RE-PAINTING, REPLASTERING, ROOF REPAIRS AND OTHER WORK TO GET THEM BACK INTO GOOD CONDITION, HE SAID.

THE SOUTH LAMMA TEMPLE IS MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD AND RECORDS SHOW THAT IN 1898 IT WAS ONE OF THE FEW STRUCTURES IN WHAT IS NOW THE BUSY FISHING VILLAGE OF KOK KWU WAN.

+ THE TEMPLE IS USED QUITE EXTENSIVELY AND PARTICULARLY OF COURSE AT THE TIME OF THE TIN HAU FESTIVAL WHEN A LARGE NUMBER OF JUNKS CONGREGATE IN SOK KWU WAN, SAID MR. CHAN.

THE TUNG CHUNG TEMPLE DATES BACK TO AT LEAST 1765. THE YEAR INSCRIBED ON THE TEMPLE'S BELL. ACCORDING TO THE INSCRIPTION, THE BELL WAS DONATED BY A GROUP OF 13 WORSHIPPERS, ALL OF THEM RESIDENTS OF TUNG CHUNG.

THE TEMPLE ALSO HAS A GROUP OF STONE TABLETS DATED THE +8TH MOON, THE SECOND YEAR OF THE SUEN TUNG+ (1909) TELLING THE STORY OF AN EARLIER RESTORATION. ACCORDING TO THE TABLETS, THE +ANCIENT TEMPLE+ WAS RENOVATED BY TWO GROUPS OF RESIDENTS KNOWN AS TUNG YUEN TONG AND SAI YUEN TONG.

THE TABLETS ALSO LIST THE NAMES OF ABOUT 700 SHOPS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTRIBUTED A TOTAL SUM OF $2,000 TOWARDS THE RENOVATION.

/THE NEARESTE

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233181

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