26th of the 1st Month of the Lunar Calendar

While many folk beliefs in Hong Kong originate from the Mainland China, the “Kwun Yum Treasury Opening Festival” is a local custom. It was said that the custom originated from Kwun Yum Tong on Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan. This custom has evolved through the years such that today almost all temples that houses a shrine of Kwun Yum – also known as the Guanyin Bodhisattva – would organize the event (Examples include the Kwan Yin Fo Tong beside the Man Mo Temple at Sheung Wan and the Tin Hau Temple at Shau Kei Wan). Believers can secure “loans” from Kwun Yum through making an incense offering and a lucky draw of red paper (bearing the amount), in hopes of raising their income in the upcoming year. In a commercial society where making a fortune is paramount, this ritual of foretelling one’s fortune is rather popular among believers.

The legend of “loaning from Kwun Yum’s Treasury”

The Kwun Yum Tong of Tai Ping Shan Street was rebuilt in 1895 during the Guangxu Era of Qing Dynasty. Tang Kei-tsun, the fifth generation successor of the establishment, said the temple was built long before Hong Kong became an open port. The temple is the first Kwun Yum Temple of the Hong Kong Island, and was later moved to its present address. Because of its antiquity, it is difficult to trace the beginnings of the Kwun Yum Treasury Opening Festival, or the reason why the custom is set on the 26th of the 1st month of the lunar calendar. One only knows that the people of those days, seeing that many children did not have the money to attend school, followed a Kwun Yum-related folklore to collect donations from worshippers to help children in need.

A bridge built by the dutiful son

The story is named “the Dutiful son building the bridge of Luo Yang”. It tells of how a pregnant woman riding a boat was caught in a storm and encountered great danger. She promised Kwun Yum that if she were to successfully escape the peril and give birth to a son, her son would build a bridge for public benefit after he grew up. The pregnant woman arrived safely ashore. Years later, her son, Cai Zhongxing, after excelling in the imperial examination, wished to fulfill his mother’s wish. Nevetheless, as an honest official, he had no means to do so. The goddess Kwun Yum was moved by his filial piety and descended to earth transformed as a beautiful lady. She sat on Cai’s boat, and set out a challenge for all men: if any man could successfully strike her with a silver ingot, she would marry him. Crowds of men from all over casted silver ingots at her, but none could hit her but piled on the boat. The son collected all the ingots and successfully built the Luoyang Bridge.

The custom of the Kwun Yum Treasury Opening Festival

From this story the Kwun Yum Treasury Opening Festival was born. The treasury is open on 11pm of the 26th of the 1st Lunar month every year. On 25th, crowds of believers queued up outside the temples at different districts hoping to offer the first incense. The scene was most boisterous at the Kwun Yum Temple in Hung Hom, probably because the amount on loan was the largest, involving hundreds of millions of dollars. This enabled many to “fulfill” their wishes. Kwun Yum Tong at Tai Ping Shan Street, however, did not provide monetary amounts in their paper lottery, but instead offered red pockets on which auspicious wordings were written. Tang Kei-tsun believes that the Kwun Yum Temple is neither a bank nor a financial company, and should not provide large “sums” of loans.

The event continued up until the evening of 26th, when believers continued to pray in temples and offer incense. Besides making donations, they also purchased all manners of auspicious tokens, including treasure bags, paper money, paper safes, house guarding spells, gold and silver ingots, Kwun Yum gold platelets and auspicious flags, bringing considerable income to the temple.

Folk belief

The custom has transformed into a folk activity unique to Hong Kong. Its perpetuation is because , some say, those who secured loans from Kwun Yum’s treasury have to return them at year end or at the beginning of next year before they can secure further loans. This keeps believers returning for more. Those who wish to obtain loans come from all walks of society, with owners of small and medium enterprises, real estate agents and tour guides; some even wish to make loans for purchasing a property.

Kwun Yum is a deity that transgresses the borders between Buddhism, Taoism and folk beliefs. The “loaning” activity, however, remains only a folk activity. No relevant information is recorded in Buddhist or Taoist canons, and therefore Buddhist and Taoist temples do not hold such events.