ENG-1964 — Page 254

20

Religion

A BRIEF account of religious practices in Hong Kong must embrace such diversities as traditional Chinese beliefs, Taoism, the religious aspects of Confucian teaching, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and a kaleidoscope of Christian sects. In seeking one idiom to express all this it is easy to be misled by the entirely different appearances of religious observance, particularly between the traditional Chinese practices and those of the Christian churches, and even to assume a relative lack of religion in Chinese life.

Hong Kong's business centre may not have as many temples as there are Wren churches in the City of London. On the other hand there are likely to be at least as many signs of religion in the average Chinese home, or business, as in its western counterpart.

Over large areas of the predominantly Chinese city every other shop will have its 'God Shelf' and many homes their ancestral shrines. Whether the devotion before such symbols is intense or perfunctory there is an unmistakably religious element in Chinese culture. It may find expression in traditional ancestral ceremonies encouraged by Confucius or through a wide variety of Taoist rituals.

There has been a notable revival of Buddhism and Taoism in recent years mainly due to the immigration of Buddhists from China. Buddhism appears to have more followers in Hong Kong but both maintain a strong hold among the older Chinese and are far from dying out amongst the younger people. The Hong Kong Buddhist Association is their main organization in the Colony and recently a Taoist Association has been formed.

Religious studies in both ways of life are conducted in a large number of monasteries and nunneries, and in hermitages built in secluded places where a dozen or more inmates may reside and devote themselves to quiet meditation. Because of their accessibil- ity, hermitages at Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan are popular with people living in the urban areas. However, the better known monasteries