TIN HAU FESTIVAL (天后誕) AT SAI KUNG (西貢), New Territories, Hong Kong
We frequented Sai Kung Peninsula to visit its pristine beaches, hike on some of Hong Kong’s best trails, appreciate the awesome mix of manmade and natural wonders, or hop from island to island in the Mirs Bay. But there was one time we went to this “Back Garden of Hong Kong” not for its natural beauty, but for the cultural heritage of its Boat People and Hakka communities. A few days after we visited Tsing Yi Bamboo Theatre, we found ourselves once again in a community festival dedicated to Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea. This time, we arrived at Sai Kung Town, a seafood paradise and transportation hub that we often pass by on our way to other destinations in the area. Celebrations of Tin Hau Festival (天后誕) began at Tin Hau & Hip Tin Temple (天后古廟及協天大帝廟), a lovely historical complex dedicated to both Tin Hau and Kwan Tai (關帝), the God of War and Righteousness. Similar to other traditional festivals in Hong Kong, colourful flower plaques (花牌) were the first things we saw as we approached the temple and festival ground. In front of the temple, a large bamboo theatre was erected to house performances of Shen Gong opera (神功戲), the ritual operas dedicated to the deity.
On the slope behind the temple, the former Sai Kung Primary School was temporarily converted into a visitor centre, displaying cultural heritage of the community and Tin Hau Festival. Despite modest in size, it was fun to wander around the former school complex, from courtyards to classrooms where festival artefacts were put on display. Apart from the former school complex, two streets near the temple were blocked off to host a community fair. Among vendors selling jewellery, confections, wine, sake, stalls selling ready-to-eat snacks like grilled meat skewers and bubble tea seemed to be more popular. After indulging ourselves with local snacks, night had already fallen upon. We stopped by the bamboo theatre once again to have a peek of the Cantonese Opera. Actors with traditional makeups and ornate costumes were performing on stage a famous scene from the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” (三國演義). Outside the theatre, crowds at the street fair had thinned out a little bit, probably many had already gone home for dinner.
TSING YI BAMBOO THEATRE (青衣戲棚), Tsing Yi (青衣), New Territories, Hong Kong
Being the Goddess of the Sea, Tin Hau (天后) or the Queen of Heaven, is worshiped in many neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, especially at former fishing communities along the coast and outlying islands. That’s why on the 23rd day of the third month in the Lunar calendar, at the deity’s official birthday, about 70 Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong would perform religious rituals to celebrate Tin Hau Festival (天后誕). Some communities would even host neighbourhood fairs and Cantonese opera shows. In a fine May afternoon of 2023, we learnt about the 10-day festive event Tsing Yi Bamboo Theatre (青衣戲棚) was entering its last weekend at Tsing Yi Island. The annual festival celebrates not only the birthday of Tin Hau, but also of Chun Kwan (真君), another local patron saint originated from a military general in the South Song Dynasty (960 – 1279). Tsing Yi is home to Hong Kong’s only temple dedicated to Chun Kwan, and thus it makes perfect sense to host his “birthday celebration” on the island. Without hesitation, we hopped on a bus for Tsing Yi, an island to the northwest of the Victoria Harbour. Named after the once abundant blackspot tuskfish in the area, the 10.69 sq.km island is home to roughly 200,000 people, a container port, a series of heavy industries, and the world’s 16th-longest span suspension bridge.
It was our first time to visit the festival fair in Tsing Yi. We had no idea what to expect. Occupying the entire Tsing Yi Athletic Association Sports Ground and Soccer Pitch, the fair was larger than what we expected. The grand bamboo theatre was especially impressive, whose front elevation was covered with seven large flower plaques (花牌). While most visitors were busy queuing for fried snacks and drinks, we were excited to check out the religious altars, traditional flower plaques, and of course the bamboo theatre. Light, cheap, durable and environmentally sustainable, bamboo has been used as construction materials in this part of the world for centuries. Today, bamboo theatres are still being erected to celebrate Dajiao Festivals (太平清醮), Hungry Ghost Festival (盂蘭節) and Tin Hau Festival (天后誕), and have become an iconic cultural heritage of the city. They have even become a popular subject for architectural studies, documentary films, and heritage conservation. Probably due to the intense labour and complex skills involved, lesser and lesser people are joining the bamboo construction industry nowadays. Unsurprisingly, bamboo theatres are becoming pricier than temporary steel structures. Yet, many festival organizers and Chinese opera troupes still prefer bamboo structures over the metal counterpart. As long as there is demand, perhaps bamboo theatre would still be erected in Hong Kong.
In the evening, for those who didn’t have tickets like us, standing right by the theatre was the only way to get a peek of the Cantonese opera performance. The audience was predominately elderly from the local neighborhood. For the younger generation, these performances offer a connection to the bygone era of their parents and grandparents, and a window to learn about their own cultural heritage. After watching for a few moments, we decided to wandering around the fair a bit more, and tried some of the grilled squid, stinky tofu, faked shark fin soup, sweet red bean soup…
IN SEARCH OF FESTIVE GOODIES, Lunar New Year (農曆新年), Hong Kong
It is common to host gatherings at home during Lunar New Year. To welcome families and friends, a Goodie Box, or Chuen Hup (全盒) is essential. Usually filled with candies and festive goodies, the tradition of Goodie Box could be traced to the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Different generations and regions have their own custom on what goes into the box. When we were young, Goodie Boxes in Hong Kong were usually circular lacquerwares, mainly red and black in colour. They were often filled with sugar coated dried fruits, melon seeds, Sugus candies, chocolate coins, fried dumplings, sesame cookies, etc. As lacquerware became more expensive, plastic boxes have become a popular alternative in recent years. To revive the Goodie Box tradition at home, we took on the quest to find a Goodie Box that could better represent the heritage of Hong Kong than the contemporary plastic boxes.
In a fine afternoon of 2021, after picking several calligraphy fai chun (揮春) from “Uncle Tim”, we crossed the Harbour to Kowloon Bay and ventured into an industrial building to look for Yuet Tung China Works (粵東磁廠), Hong Kong’s last stronghold of hand-painted Cantonese porcelain (廣彩). Established in 1928, Yuet Tung was once the largest porcelain maker in the city. In its heyday, the company was home to 300 craftsmen, exporting porcelain tablewares and vases all over the world, including Japan, Europe, and North America. Since 1970’s, sales of Cantonese porcelain significantly declined due to rising concerns on lead and other heavy metals in painted ceramics. Today, only a handful of craftsmen left in the industry, though there seems to be a small revival in recent years as Cantonese porcelain has been successfully promoted as a unique cultural heritage, and some fine pieces have made their way into museums and design shops. Finding porcelain items at Yuet Tung was like treasure hunting in a cramped antique shop. Tableware of different sizes and styles were piled up on shelving from floor to ceiling. We had to be patient, attentive and somewhat lucky in order to encounter the items we desired. At the same time, we needed to stay vigilant to watch where we stepped our foot and rested our elbow in the cramped aisles. At the end, the owner came to assist us on finding a ceramic Goodie Box that suited our purpose.
Choosing snacks to fill up the box is much simpler, but still requires effort and time to pick them up from different shops. Despite all the troubles, getting the Goodie Box ready and filling our counter and fridge with festive food are definitely something that we always look forward to every year.
IN SEARCH OF AUSPICIOUS BLOSSOMS, Lunar New Year (農曆新年), Hong Kong
Lunar New Year is celebrated by many cultures worldwide. In Hong Kong, Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar (陰陽曆), a traditional system that incorporates lunar and solar calendars. In the past decade, we have always celebrated the festival according to traditions that we were brought up with. Apart from tasting different kinds of New Year cakes and goodies, and visiting New Year Fairs around the city, we would always decorate our little home with auspicious flowers such as Gladiolus (劍蘭), Narcissus (水仙), Lily (百合) and Peach blossoms (桃花). While we select flowers based on appearance and fragrance, many others pick flowers according to their symbolic meanings for prosperity and good fortune. Not only do the flowers enliven the ambience of our apartment, they also reconnect us with our distant childhood memories, in which colourful flowers were essential to the festive setting and atmosphere of people’s homes. Going to a New Year Fair (年宵) before New Year’s Day is a popular activity for many, including us. Every year, we would go to the New Year’s Fair in Victoria Park (維多利亞公園), and Fa Hui Flower Market (花墟) to pick up our New Year flowers. This year, on top of the usual places, we have also made a special trip to Shun Sum Yuen (信芯園農莊), a flower farm in rural Yuen Long (元朗). Seeing the actual flowers in lush green fields made us appreciate the farmers’ hard work, and admire the natural vitality and beauty of the local species, which might appear ordinary when placed alongside other exotic plants in a florist. Picking flowers to brighten our home works perfectly well to prepare our mood for Lunar New Year, and has become an essential ritual that we always look forward to.
URBAN HILLS OF HONG KONG: TAO FONG SHAN (道風山), Shatin (沙田), New Territories, Hong Kong
In 1930, Norwegian Lutheran missionary Karl Ludvig Reichelt and his colleagues settled in Hong Kong, and found an abandoned hill in Shatin. They purchased the hill from the government with $3780 Mexican silver, and named it Tao Fong Shan (道風山), “Words of God and Holy Spirit Carried in the Wind.” On the summit, they built a Christian missionary complex comprised of a chapel, library, office, pavilions, and residences. But unlike other Christian architecture around the world, Danish architect and Reichelt chose to build the complex in traditional Chinese style with tints of Christian touches. Their intent was similar to Ching Fong Shan (景風山) in Nanjing, an earlier Christian centre established by Reichelt in 1922, where the Norwegian missionary was keen to preach Christianity in a Chinese context and share the gospel with Buddhist monks and Taoist priests. To Reichelt, his Christian centres worked similar to other Buddhist monastery in China where monks came to engage in dialogue exchanges and learn from each other. Working under the same principles, Tao Fong Shan was also intended to attract Buddhist monks from nearby temples in Shatin.
Today, Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre (道風山基督教叢林) and its adjacent seminary schools continue to thrive as a religious institution. Being a filming location in Weeds on Fire (點五步), a movie based on the true story of the first Hong Kong baseball team (Shatin Martins) to win a league, perhaps many Hongkongers would recognize the Centre’s 12m Big Cross perched on top of a lush green hill facing Shatin and and Shing Mun River (城門河). Apart from the Cross, hardly anyone would acknowledge the fact that there is a secluded Christian centre 130m above the urban centre of Shatin (沙田). Apart from Christian services, Tao Fong Shan is also known for its Art Ministry, where hand painted Canton porcelains are made by monks since 1947. On our second visit, we spent quite a while at their porcelain shop. We ended up taking home two sets of plates and four dipping dishes in support of a fading handicraft industry. Be it the interesting architecture and gardens, the pleasant views to the surrounding valleys and Shatin town, or the naturalistic and spiritual ambience of the Christian Centre, visiting Tao Fong Shan offered us an almost instant (20-minute walk from Shatin Station) retreat from the bustling scenes of Hong Kong.
URBAN HILLS OF HONG KONG: TSING YI PEAK (三支香), Tsing Yi (青衣), New Territories, Hong Kong
We grew up in an era when the container port in Hong Kong was the world’s busiest (1987-1989, 1992-1997, 1999-2004). The main port facility, known as Kwai Tsing Container Terminals (葵青貨櫃碼頭), is clustered in Kwai Chung (葵涌), Stonecutters Island (昂船洲) and Tsing Yi Island (青衣) along both sides of the narrow Rambler Channel (藍巴勒海峽). Whenever we find ourselves on the expressway to and from the airport, we would always look out the window when our vehicle passes by the container terminals. We love to watch the containers being moved and stacked like pieces of toy blocks. Yet, it was always a brief encounter, leaving us no time to photograph the unique scenery until a fine November day in 2020, when I hiked up Tsing Yi Peak for a birdeye’s view of the container terminals. Referring to the three peaks, Tsing Yi Peak is also known as Sam Chi Heung (三支香), which literally means “three joss incense sticks.” Overlooking the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals at 334m above sea level, Tsing Yi Peak stands as the perfect platform to have an overview of the port.
It didn’t take long to reach the first peak of Sam Chi Heung, putting me right in line with Tsing Yi South Bridge and a large warehouse building. The middle peak offered me a glimpse of the oil refinery facilities on the other side of the island. But it was the third peak that was the most impressive, where the panorama of the entire Rambler Channel and container terminals was completed unfolded, from Stonecutters Bridge (昂船洲大橋) all the way to Tsuen Wan (荃灣). Beyond the container terminals, the skyline of West Kowloon and Hong Kong Island stood as a hazy backdrop. I stood at the south peak lookout for quite some time, just to take in the breathtaking scenery and observe the operations of the container terminal. Looking at the crisscrossing water channels, suspension bridges, elevated expressways, flyovers, and container docks made me appreciate even more for all the efforts involved to move things around the world.
URBAN HILLS OF HONG KONG: LION ROCK (獅子山), Wong Tai Sin (黃大仙), Kowloon, Hong Kong
At the lookout of Ping Shan, the distant Lion Rock stands as the most recognizable feature in the scenery of Kowloon. In Hong Kong, there is no other peaks like the Lion Rock. Reaching a height of 495m, the iconic hill has been the symbol of “Hong Kong spirit” since the 1970’s. In 1972, a TV show named Below the Lion Rock (獅子山下) was broadcasted on RTHK, the official public broadcasting channel in the city. The show presents stories of the grass-root community, many of whom were Chinese refugees living in neighborhoods below Lion Rock, reestablishing their lives in Hong Kong after WWII and the Chinese Civil War. The show also covers stories of Hongkongers in context of various social issues. It was produced and broadcasted on and off from 1972 till the present. In 1979, a theme song for the show with the same name came out. Dealing with the collective spirit of persistence and pursuit of dreams during hardships, the song soon became the unofficial anthem for not just the communities below Lion Rock, but also the entire city. Prominently situated over Central Kowloon, Lion Rock has become the city’s cultural symbol during the formative years, when Hong Kong was rapidly reinventing itself from an industrial hub to an international financial centre. Today, Lion Rock still reminds people to the city’s humble years, and the collective fighting spirit of its people.
Putting aside its symbolic meanings, with its shape that resembles a crouching lion, the Lion Rock is also physically one of the most recognizable peaks in Hong Kong. The hill is visible from many districts in the city, even across Victoria Harbour. Its peak is also accessible from various neighborhoods, such as Wong Tai Sin (黃大仙), Tsz Wan Shan (慈雲山), and Tai Wai (大圍). No matter which trailhead to start from, the hike up the summit would usually take less than 2 hours. For us, it was always a spontaneous decision to hike up. We managed to summit Lion Rock three times, but not a single time did we enjoy the view from the top in a smog free day. Due to the popularity of Lion Rock, it was always crowded on the top, especially on the rocky summit where everyone is searching for the best selfie spot. Despite the smog, views of the evening skyline still captivated us each time when we stood up there. Someday, we will hike up Lion Rock again on a perfect day.
Blue Lapis Road 