ENG-1985 — Page 298

17

Religion and Custom

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THE leading Chinese religions are Buddhism and Taoism, but the majority of the Chinese population also practise ancestral worshipping as advocated by Confucianism which, though not a religion, provides a comprehensive moral code on the basis of human relations. Offerings are made not only on religious festivals but also on the first and 15th days of the lunar month.

Buddhist monasteries and Taoist temples co-exist with Christian churches, mosques, and Hindu and Sikh temples. All major religious bodies have established schools, which offer a general education besides religious instruction. Admission to these schools, however, is not restricted to believers of the respective religions.

Buddhism and Taoism

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Hong Kong has more than 360 Buddhist and Taoist temples, some being centuries old and containing priceless antiques, while others are of more recent construction housed-inside multi-storey buildings. Under the Chinese Temples Ordinance, all temples have to be registered. The Chinese Temples Committee manages about 40 public temples and the income, mainly from donations by worshippers, is used for the preservation and restoration of not only public temples but also privately owned temples of historical value. Most of the large temples and monasteries are open to the public.

Ancestral shrines can be found in most households and countless shops have a God Shelf, supporting images of one or more of the hundreds of divinities.' With religious observances carried out at home, many people reserve temple-going for festivals and special occasions for example, when observing the traditional rites associated with birth, marriage and death - and at the time of a new or full moon.

Historically, Hong Kong people have always been dependent on the sea, first for fishing and later for trade and the most popular deities are those connected with the sea and the weather. Tin Hau, the Queen of Heaven and Protector of Seafarers, is reputed to be worshipped by a quarter of a million people. There are at least 24 Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong, the first and most famous being in Joss House Bay near Fat Tong Mun. Many of the Tin Hau temples, which were originally built near the sea, are now some distance inland as a result of reclamation.

Other leading deities include Kwun Yum, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy; Kwan Tai, the God of War and the source of righteousness; Pak Tai, Lord of the North and local patron of Cheung Chau Island; Hung Shing, God of the South Seas and a weather prophet, and Wong Tai Sin, a Taoist deity after whom a district of New Kowloon is named. The temple in honour of Wong Tai Sin, around which a public housing estate has been constructed, is built in traditional Chinese architectural style and is extremely popular with worshippers. Dedicated to the Gods of Literary Attainment and Martial Valour, the Man