Wong Tai Sin Temple, Taoist temple in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Wong Tai Sin Temple is a Taoist temple in Wong Tai Sin District, Kowloon, covering about 18,000 square metres below Lion Rock. Its main hall has red pillars, a roof of orange-brown glazed tiles and blue friezes with yellow latticework. The entrance is flanked by two tall red columns bearing vertical gold Chinese inscriptions and topped by red spherical lanterns, and a gold-lettered plaque hangs above the doorway.
Leung Yan-am moved an altar from Wan Chai to this site in 1921 after his medicine shop was destroyed. The compound grew over the decades into a large public sanctuary that drew followers from across Hong Kong.
Worshippers shake numbered bamboo sticks from a container and have them interpreted by fortune tellers near the temple entrance. The sticks fall to the ground in front of the altars while incense burns in large bronze vessels, sending thick smoke upward.
The temple opens daily from 7 AM to 5 PM, with longer hours during Lunar New Year celebrations. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the compound covers several levels and requires walking to explore fully.
The three religions are not housed in three separate halls: the Three-Saint Hall honours Lü Dongbin, Guan Yin and Lord Guan together, while Confucius is venerated in the Lin Pavilion and the Buddha Dipankara in the Yu Heung Pavilion. A couplet inside the Three-Saint Hall opens with the two characters of "Sik Sik", the temple's managing body.
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