A HONG KONG SPIRIT-MEDIUM TEMPLE
19
premises of a specific temple rather than conducting them in his own or a client's home.
The Hong Kong spirit-medium temple may be either a humble structure of makeshift materials, akin to a squatter hut, or an ornate edifice constructed and maintained at considerable expense. Our study concerns a cult whose temple falls into the last-mentioned category. Completed in early 1975 and constructed at a cost of over HK$200,000, the temple is itself a major indicator of the cult's current prosperity. Below we discuss that temple and its cult, with particular attention to spatio-temporal setting, personnel, and ritual.
The Spirit-Medium Temple: Spatio-Temporal Setting
The temple is situated on a small hill immediately behind several residential blocks of the Tsui Ping Road Resettlement Estate in the urban-industrial district of Kwun Tong. The temple structure itself is, in fact, only a part of a larger complex which includes a small, one-storey office building, a partially enclosed stage, several outdoor shrines, and a paak ka chi “or Hall of One Hundred Sur-names”. The last-mentioned structure was under construction at the time this paper was written. In marked contrast to the crowded conditions that prevail in the adjacent Mark I estate, the temple complex occupies over 4,000 square feet of land.
The temple bears the horrific title of its patron deity Tai Wong Ye, which translates into English as "The Great Ancient King". It is a common title bestowed on deified mortals who were seldom in the literal sense "Kings" but were more often officials of various grades in Imperial China. To better understand the origin and present circumstances of the spirit-medium cult, it is necessary that we briefly trace the history of the Tai Wong Ye and his temple.
The patron deity of the present-day cult is reported to have been, during his mortal life, an official of the Tang Dynasty surnamed Lei. After his death, he was awarded the honorary title of Man Chung Kung. Temple personnel usually refer to him as "Lei Man Chung Kung". The Old Tang History contains the biography of a stateman bearing the surname Lei and the given name Uen-yuen. After death, he was given the title Man Chung Kung by the emperor in recognition of his outstanding loyalty to the emperor, his filiality towards parents and kinsmen, and frugality
A HONG KONG SPIRIT-MEDIUM TEMPLE
19
premises of a specific temple rather than conducting them in his own or a client's home.
The Hong Kong spirit-medium temple may be either a humble structure of makeshift materials, akin to a squatter hut, or an ornate edifice constructed and maintained at considerable expense. Our study concerns a cult whose temple falls into the last-mentioned category. Completed in early 1975 and constructed at a cost of over HK$200,000 the temple is itself a major indicator of the cult's current prosperity. Below we discuss that temple and its cult, with particular attention to spatio-temporal setting, personnel, and ritual.
The Spirit-Medium Temple: Spatio-Temporal Setting
The temple is situated on a small hill immediately behind se- veral residential blocks of the Tsui Ping Road Resettlement Estate in the urban-industrial district of Kwun Tong. The temple struc- ture itself is, in fact, only a part of a larger complex which includes a small, one storey office building, a partially enclosed stage, several outdoor shrines, and a paak ka chi “or Hall of One Hundred Sur- names”, ✯✯. The last-mentioned structure was under construc- tion at the time this paper was written. In marked contrast to the crowded conditions that prevail in the adjacent Mark I eslate, the temple complex occupies over 4,000 square feet of land.
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The temple bears the horrific title of its patron deity Tai Wong Ye which translates into English as "The Great Ancient King". It is a common title bestowed on deified mortals who were seldom in the literal sense "Kings" but were more often officials of various grades in Imperial China. To better understand the origin and present circumstances of the spirit-medium cult it is necessary that we briefly trace the history of the Tai Wong Ye and his temple.
The patron deity of the present-day cult is reported to have been during his mortal life an official of the Tang Dynasty surnamed Lei. After his death he was awarded the honorary title of Man Chung Kung ✰✰. Temple persomel usually refer to him as "Lei Man Chung Kung". The Old Tang History contains
the biography of a stateman bearing the surname Lei and the given name Uen-yuen. After death he was given the title Man Chung Kung by the emperor in recognition of his outstanding loyalty to the emperor, his filiality towards parents and kinsmen, and frugality
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