Local Festivals Around the Year
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Fan Sin’s Birthday

  • 16th of the 5th Month of the Lunar Calendar

    Customs are dynamic, changing with social development. They will embrace prosperity if community members pay much attention to them; otherwise, they will only vanish. Fan Sin’s Birthday is a disappearing festival in Wun Yiu villages of Tai Po. Fan Sin Temple can be found in Wun Yiu only in Hong Kong. Visitors and offerings are scarce during the ordinary days, yet there are still not many worshippers even on 16th of the 5th Lunar Month, Fan Sin’s Birthday.

  • Fan Sin Temple

    Located in Sheung Wun Yiu village, Fan Sin Temple is a two-hall structure. It is said that the Fan Tai Sin venerated in the temple was originally three brothers, namely Fan Yilong, Fan Samlong, and Fan Seilong, who were the founders of the ceramic production. The belief was brought in by Hakka Ma clan from Chang Le County (now Wu Hua County) in Guangdong. They purchased the kiln in Wun Yiu from the Man family and expanded the business with advanced management. The 16th generation ancestor of Ma clan, Ma Choi Yun then returned to their home to invite Fan Sin (only one god) to Wun Yiu in order to bless their workers and pray for a smooth porcelain production.

  • The Fan Sin Temple existing today was built in Emperor Qianlong’s reign of Qing Dynasty; the wooden plaque hanging at the main hall of the temple was carved in the Geng-xu year (1790) of Qianlong Emperor’s reign, 200 years from now. The temple is taken care of by people of the ten villages in Wun Yiu, as a declared monument in Hong Kong.

  • Center of Porcelain Production

    Wun Yiu was a place for blue and white porcelain production since Ming Dynasty, but was abandoned during the Great Clearance period in Qing Dynasty. After the ban was lifted, Ma family took over the kiln and made their blue and white wares celebrated not only within Hong Kong and Guangdong, but also overseas in Southeast Asia. Due to the fierce competition from good quality and inexpensive porcelain produced by other coastal kilns in Guangdong and the shortage of high quality porcelain clay, the kiln stopped operating in 1932. Villagers worked there all changed their professions. No one produce porcelain there ever after.

  • Ancient Kiln Site

    The kiln gradually disappeared under dirt and grasses. Archeologists designated by Regional Council conducted excavation in 1995 and 1999 respectively. Relics illustrating the complete process of porcelain production were discovered, including china clay quarrying pits, water-mills, animal-driven grinders, clay soaking tanks, preform making workshop, dragon kilns, etc., which was extremely rare in the archeology history in China. Therefore, the remains of Wun Yiu Kiln were declared a monument, yet no restoration has been conducted.

  • The Fading of Fan Sin’s Birthday Festival

    Though local porcelain industry has declined, the ten villages in Wun Yiu County still celebrated Fan Sin’s Birthday on 16th of the 5th Lunar Month. There was a Guan Di Temple in the neighborhood, where the villagers celebrated Guan Di’s birthday on 13th of the 5th Lunar Month. Since the two gods’ birthdays are so close, they are usually celebrated together with a live Chinese operas and dramas performance for ghosts lasting for 5 days and 4 nights, creating an extremely exciting scene.

    However, fewer and fewer villagers participatied in the events. One reason is that some villages in Tai Po were dismantled because of the land acquisition by the government. Many villagers then moved into buildings and stopped donating for the celebration. The performances were cancelled in 1987 due to the lack of money and hands. And, because of the lack of seniors who know the customs, the rituals were getting simpler these years.

  • On the morning of the festival date, only some ten villagers came to celebrate Fan Sin’s Birthday with roast pigs, fruits, and steamed birthday buns. Most of them were from Ma clan in Sheung Wun Yiu village and Ha Wun Yiu village. The fund came from offerings in Fan Sin Temple. The new generation showed little interest in faith of Fan Sin, probably because they were no longer related to porcelain production.

    The festival will disappear eventually when the later generations give up celebrating Fan Sin’s Birthday, as a large number of people and lots of money are needed for such an event. Only if the all members of the community make a concerted effort can it be held grandly and lively.