Tin Hau Temple, Lei Yue Mun, Coastal temple in Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong
Tin Hau Temple in Lei Yue Mun is a place of worship dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, sitting on the coastline of Kwun Tong District in Hong Kong. The building follows traditional southern Chinese temple design, with a tiled roof, carved stone panels, and a forecourt facing the sea.
The temple was built in 1753, in the 18th year of the Qianlong reign, by Zheng Lianchang, a pirate leader active in the waters off Lei Yue Mun and grandson of Zheng Jian, a general under Zheng Chenggong. A stele found during the 1953 restoration records: "Tin Hau Temple, established by Zheng Lianchang, to be managed by his descendants, erected in the spring of the 18th year of Qianlong." The temple was restored in 1953 and 1986; the 1953 work added the Xietian Gong beside it, and together they are known as the Temple of the Holy Mother Tin Hau.
The name Tin Hau is the Cantonese name for Mazu, the sea goddess worshipped by fishing families across southern China. On festival days, the space fills with offerings of incense and paper goods, and local residents come to pray for safe passage at sea.
The temple sits at the far end of Lei Yue Mun village, reachable on foot from the Samshing Hui ferry pier after a short walk through the seafood restaurants. The final approach involves steep stone steps, so solid footwear is a good idea.
A stele found during the 1953 restoration records that the temple was founded by the pirate Zheng Lianchang, a grandson of Zheng Jian, a Ming general under Koxinga. It reads that the temple was established in the spring of the 18th year of Qianlong (1753) and that Zheng's descendants would manage it thereafter.
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