XN000022-1977-09-17 — Page 4

3

-

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1977

CENTURIES-OLD TIN HAU TEMPLE REOPENED

***

CENTURIES-OLD TIN HAU TEMPLE IN TSUEN WAN WAS REOPENED TODAY FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF REPAIR WORKS ON IT.

THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES, UNVEILED A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE TO MARK THE REOPENING OF THE TEMPLE.

THE RENOVATIONS ON THE TEMPLE, FINANCED BY LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS, WERE CARRIED OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1918 UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE TSUEN WAN RURAL COMMITTEE AFTER PARTS OF THE TEMPLE HAD FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR. PREVIOUSLY, THERE HAD BEEN FOUR RENOVATIONS.

MR. HAYES SAID THE ADDRESSING THE REOPENING CEREMONY TEMPLE IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION OF TSUEN WAN.

+ IT HAS A RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE AS THE PLACE TO WHICH INDIVIDUALS CAN SEEK COMFORT AND ADVICE IN TIME OF NEED, AND IT HAS BEEN AT THE CENTRE OF COMMUNITY LIFE FOR MANY GENERATIONS, + HE SAID.

+WHEN SO MUCH OF THE OLD HAS ALREADY DISAPPEARED IN TSUEN WAN, IT WILL BE A CONSOLATION TO OLD RESIDENTS AT THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF NORTH TSUEN WAN WHICH INCLUDE THE RETENTION OF THE TEMPLE, ALONG WITH SAM TUNG UK VILLAGE TO ITS FRONT.

+UNDER THE TOWN PLANNING PROPOSALS, AN OPEN SPACE WILL BE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES AND VISITORS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS ALIKE WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY A GLIMPSE OF OLD TSUEN WAN.

+MOREOVER, THE TEMPLE WILL CONTINUE AS A PLACE OF WORSHIP AND A SYMBOL OF UNITY FOR THE INDIGENOUS INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE,+ HE SAID.

14