ENG-1974 — Page 233

16

Religion and Custom

It would be misleading for the visitor to gauge the role religion plays in the life of the average family in Hong Kong from the number and size of churches and temples found here. These generally lack the glamour and history of churches in London or temples in Bangkok. Apart from Christian followers, most Chinese conduct their religious practices in private by offering burning incense to the ancestral shrines in their homes or a 'God Shelf' in their shops. These types of traditional religious rites become more elaborate during major festivals or in ceremonies of birth, marriage and death. S

Religious practices include Taoism, Confucian teaching, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. There has been a notable revival of interest in Buddhism and Taoism in recent years, mainly because of the immigration of Buddhists from China and the vogue for the martial art, kung-fu, which claims mystic links with these religions. Together, these religions maintain a strong hold among older Chinese and, to a lesser degree, the younger people.

Religious studies are conducted in a large number of monasteries, nunneries, hermitages and academies; those at Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan being more popular with urban dwellers mainly because of their accessibility. However, some better known monasteries are situated in more remote and unspoilt parts of the New Territories. The Buddhist Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is famous for its beautiful view of the sunrise and there are large numbers of visitors at weekends and holidays.

Other Buddhist and Taoist monasteries in the New Territories which attract both sightseers and devotees are Ching Shan Tsz and Tsing Chung Koon at Castle Peak, Tung Po Tor and Yuen Yuen Hok Yuen near Tsuen Wan and Sai Lam at Sha Tin. At Tao Fong Shan, near Sha Tin, there is a Christian study centre on Chinese religion and culture, where the work of the Christian Mission to Buddhists has been carried on for many years. To meet the demands of the urban population, Buddhist Ching She (places for spiritual cultivation), Fat Tong (Buddha Halls) and To Yuen (places for Taoist worship) have been opened in apartments in residential areas. Sutras are also expounded under the auspices of various Buddhist institutions in the urban areas.

Temples, on the other hand, play an important part in Chinese religious life as places of public worship. For instance, Tin Hau, as a major deity, alone claims 250,000 worshippers. These temples generally house, and are named after, one major deity, but subsidiary deities may often be found in the same temple. Many of them are sea gods and sea goddesses, reflecting Hong Kong's origin as a fishing port.

Except for Kwun Yam, 'Buddhist Goddess of Mercy', the majority are deified mortals who have been traditionally worshipped as a result of their performance of