10th Lunar Month
The 10th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarThe worship of water deities was once very popular in south-eastern coastal China where the residents’ livelihood was highly dependent on the seas. To guard against natural disasters, fishermen sought spiritual support in addition to their skills and wisdom to weather through difficulties. That is where the diversity of water deities was formed for blessing and good reward.
The Worship of Water DeitiesTin Hau is the most common goddess of the sea in South China, followed by Hung Shing, Tam Kung, Pak Ti and Long Mu. Other deities like Chu Tai Sin, Shui Sin, the Dragon Kings of the Sea and the Sea God are also worshipped in some fishing communities. However, as most boat dwellers migrated to inland areas, the tradition of worship has reached its twilight. Today, traditional water deity festival like the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh is only celebrated in Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung.
The Shui Sin Yeh TempleLocal fishermen said that there used to be a temple for Shui Sin Yeh on Shelter Island, which faces Kau Sai Chau in Sai Kung, but it was abandoned by residents running away for their lives when British troops fired the town, and eventually collapsed. Today in the Hung Shing Temple in Kau Sai Chau, three deities are worshiped: Hung Shing Tai Wong (ie. Hung Shing) which is in the centre of the altar, Choi Pak Shing Kwan (literally, the Lord of Wealth) and Shui Sin Yeh. The statue of Shui Sin Yeh, which has a red face and a sward in hand, is believed to be the one that originally was in the Shui Sin Yeh Temple on Shelter Island.
Celebrating the BirthdayAlthough most of the Boat Dwellers had moved to mainland, dozens of them will follow the tradition and come back to the tiny island on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month to celebrate the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh every year. They set roast pig and fruits as offerings and worshipped. I once saw a prayer squeezing through under the altar table like what people did beneath the feet of Taishi during the Taiping Qingjiao ceremony and also prayed for getting rid of bad lucks.
The 16th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarBeing a society composed of migrants from all over mainland China, Hong Kong accommodates a diversity of worshipped deities; some of them are not well known or even hardly heard of. The Lieniu Temple that venerates Saint Yiu the Virgin on Fu Yung Shan, Tsuen Wan is one of the temples that hardly known, but a number of faithful local believers in the community always come and worship Saint Yiu on the dates of her birth and death every year and the tradition has been kept alive even today.
But who is Saint Yiu the Virgin? According to the stele ‘In Memorial of Yiu the Virgin of Luoyang’ (Luoyang town is located in the Huizhou City, Boluo prefecture in Guangdong) on the gate wall of the temple that the Yiu clan of Kiu Kong offered in 1979, during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1487 – 1505), a 17-year-old girl from Yiu family in Jingjidu escaped away to a valley, when a gang of robber ransacked her village. Chased after by the gang, the girl climbed up to the top of the clip and jumped to her death for the integrity as a virgin. The Emperor heard about the story and was moved by Yiu so he rewarded her in name of ‘Lieniu’ (literally “a female martyr”) and recorded her behaviour to set a good example for the following generations. Subsequently, a Lieniu Temple was built up to pay homage to her and Yiu was known and worshipped as Saint Yiu the Virgin.
The Lieniu Temple on Fu Yung Shan
The first person who initiated the belief of Saint Yiu in Hong Kong is believed to be a Hakka woman from the Tang clan. Ms. Tang and her husband came to Hong Kong after the World War II. The couple settled down in Ma Sim Pai village in Tsuen Wan and Ms. Tang started worshiping Saint Yiu at home in 1959. When the government took the land, Ms. Tang built the Lienui Temple beside a huge rock on Fu Yung Shan in 1966, where the Sun Shan Village is located today.
FestivalSince the location of the temple is rather remote and not easily accessible, the temple is rarely visited. It was most visited on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month when worshippers came all the way over mountains to celebrate Saint Yiu’s Birthday. Others who came and helped to create the festival atmosphere were the lion dance and unicorn dance troups bringing along with their ‘Choi Ching’ (literally meaning plucking the green) performance, lively beating the load drums and cymbals, which breaks the silence in the village.
When the performance ended, a banquet of eight tables full of food and drinks was ready to treat everyone who comes. During the dinner, various sacred objects were sold by auction, which included red flower balls, gold necklaces, jade pendants, paper lanterns, models of sailboat, swords made up of coins. Each item was given auspicious names. For examples, a gold necklace was a ‘Peace Leash’, a sailboat model was a ‘Gold Sail in Tailwind’, a lantern was a ‘Light of Prosperity’ and a coin-made sword becames a ‘God Sword’. Reserve price was higher than the price in market, but because all the items were from the temple and convey positive meanings, the auction enjoyed good attendance and items were sold out at their highest prices. The auction had become the main source of income to organisers of the ceremony while helping to create a boisterous atmosphere for the festival.
Asking for ForgivenessWhen joss sticks were offered, male prayers stayed inside the temple and sent a representative to throw a pair of crescent-shaped divination blocks, which is called ‘Jiaobei’, and asked the deities if they are happy with the offerings. If the blocks fell with one flat side facing up and the other facing down, then it means a divine answer or a ‘yes’ answer. Otherwise, the representative needed to explain to the deities. Excuses can be someone’s absence or a failure to supply enough drinks. If these were the cases, he would ask for forgiveness, or serve more offerings and then throw and ask over again until the deities are satisfied.
Characters of fishermenWhile male villagers were throwing Jiaobei inside the temple, ladies gathered aside were busy with preparing the lunch. Some were responsible for chopping up the chickens and roasting pigs, others would cook in the kitchen with large pans. After a while of busy cooking, a lunch of seven or eight dishes was ready and served on several tables in front of the temple. People all ate standing and moved around the tables free to help themselves. This was the best moment when the opened and informal character of Boat Dwellers was clearly shown.
The Fall of the TraditionAs squatter areas in Tsuen Wan were demolished and the faithful generation passed on, the worship to Saint Yiu is losing its practitioners. When the tradition was in its hayday, worshippers came on the Birthday of Saint Yiu in such a continuous steam that the temple had to set twenty to thirty tables and served non- stop for the whole day. In addition, six firework clubs organised by neighbour communities would come and perform fireworks. Today, most believers are elder Tsuen Wan residents. Although they may take young people to the temple, the scale of ceremony today cannot be compared to that in the past.
There are three temples for worshipping Saint Yiu in Hong Kong now. The other two, the Shing Nui Kung on Ha Fa Shan, Tsuen Wan and the Saint Yiu Temple in Yau Tam Mei Village, Yuen Lung, are also built by believers. These two temples also have ceremonies on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month, but are not in the same scale as it is in Fu Yung Shan. The 16th day of the 6th lunar month is the date of Saint Yiu’s death and villagers come and pay their homage as well.
Festivals in Kau Sai ChauHung Shing is the most important deity to the villagers from Kau Sai Chau and its Birthday on the 13th of the second lunar month is the most important festival on the island. Both the Boat Dweller and the Hakka would be back to the village for the ceremony and performance. Nevertheless, Shui Sin Yeh remains a spiritual support to the Boat Dwellers as it was to their ancestors and the Birthday of the immortal is never forgotten. The Committee for Hung Shing’s Birthday in Kau Sai Chau supported to organise the ceremony on Shui Sin Yeh’s Birthday and provide regular worship services for villagers who wish for peace and at the same time took it as a chance for villagers that moved off the island to get together.
To Continue the TraditionFolk religions in Hong Kong have never been interrupted. For example, worshipping water deities is still found here, while it is not the case in the Mainland. Observing their traditional activities is helpful to understand Chinese beliefs and to trace the local history of a certain community.
The 10th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarThe worship of water deities was once very popular in south-eastern coastal China where the residents’ livelihood was highly dependent on the seas. To guard against natural disasters, fishermen sought spiritual support in addition to their skills and wisdom to weather through difficulties. That is where the diversity of water deities was formed for blessing and good reward.
The Worship of Water DeitiesTin Hau is the most common goddess of the sea in South China, followed by Hung Shing, Tam Kung, Pak Ti and Long Mu. Other deities like Chu Tai Sin, Shui Sin, the Dragon Kings of the Sea and the Sea God are also worshipped in some fishing communities. However, as most boat dwellers migrated to inland areas, the tradition of worship has reached its twilight. Today, traditional water deity festival like the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh is only celebrated in Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung.
The Shui Sin Yeh TempleLocal fishermen said that there used to be a temple for Shui Sin Yeh on Shelter Island, which faces Kau Sai Chau in Sai Kung, but it was abandoned by residents running away for their lives when British troops fired the town, and eventually collapsed. Today in the Hung Shing Temple in Kau Sai Chau, three deities are worshiped: Hung Shing Tai Wong (ie. Hung Shing) which is in the centre of the altar, Choi Pak Shing Kwan (literally, the Lord of Wealth) and Shui Sin Yeh. The statue of Shui Sin Yeh, which has a red face and a sward in hand, is believed to be the one that originally was in the Shui Sin Yeh Temple on Shelter Island.
Celebrating the BirthdayAlthough most of the Boat Dwellers had moved to mainland, dozens of them will follow the tradition and come back to the tiny island on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month to celebrate the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh every year. They set roast pig and fruits as offerings and worshipped. I once saw a prayer squeezing through under the altar table like what people did beneath the feet of Taishi during the Taiping Qingjiao ceremony and also prayed for getting rid of bad lucks.
The 16th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarBeing a society composed of migrants from all over mainland China, Hong Kong accommodates a diversity of worshipped deities; some of them are not well known or even hardly heard of. The Lieniu Temple that venerates Saint Yiu the Virgin on Fu Yung Shan, Tsuen Wan is one of the temples that hardly known, but a number of faithful local believers in the community always come and worship Saint Yiu on the dates of her birth and death every year and the tradition has been kept alive even today.
But who is Saint Yiu the Virgin? According to the stele ‘In Memorial of Yiu the Virgin of Luoyang’ (Luoyang town is located in the Huizhou City, Boluo prefecture in Guangdong) on the gate wall of the temple that the Yiu clan of Kiu Kong offered in 1979, during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1487 – 1505), a 17-year-old girl from Yiu family in Jingjidu escaped away to a valley, when a gang of robber ransacked her village. Chased after by the gang, the girl climbed up to the top of the clip and jumped to her death for the integrity as a virgin. The Emperor heard about the story and was moved by Yiu so he rewarded her in name of ‘Lieniu’ (literally “a female martyr”) and recorded her behaviour to set a good example for the following generations. Subsequently, a Lieniu Temple was built up to pay homage to her and Yiu was known and worshipped as Saint Yiu the Virgin.
The Lieniu Temple on Fu Yung Shan
The first person who initiated the belief of Saint Yiu in Hong Kong is believed to be a Hakka woman from the Tang clan. Ms. Tang and her husband came to Hong Kong after the World War II. The couple settled down in Ma Sim Pai village in Tsuen Wan and Ms. Tang started worshiping Saint Yiu at home in 1959. When the government took the land, Ms. Tang built the Lienui Temple beside a huge rock on Fu Yung Shan in 1966, where the Sun Shan Village is located today.
FestivalSince the location of the temple is rather remote and not easily accessible, the temple is rarely visited. It was most visited on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month when worshippers came all the way over mountains to celebrate Saint Yiu’s Birthday. Others who came and helped to create the festival atmosphere were the lion dance and unicorn dance troups bringing along with their ‘Choi Ching’ (literally meaning plucking the green) performance, lively beating the load drums and cymbals, which breaks the silence in the village.
When the performance ended, a banquet of eight tables full of food and drinks was ready to treat everyone who comes. During the dinner, various sacred objects were sold by auction, which included red flower balls, gold necklaces, jade pendants, paper lanterns, models of sailboat, swords made up of coins. Each item was given auspicious names. For examples, a gold necklace was a ‘Peace Leash’, a sailboat model was a ‘Gold Sail in Tailwind’, a lantern was a ‘Light of Prosperity’ and a coin-made sword becames a ‘God Sword’. Reserve price was higher than the price in market, but because all the items were from the temple and convey positive meanings, the auction enjoyed good attendance and items were sold out at their highest prices. The auction had become the main source of income to organisers of the ceremony while helping to create a boisterous atmosphere for the festival.
Asking for ForgivenessWhen joss sticks were offered, male prayers stayed inside the temple and sent a representative to throw a pair of crescent-shaped divination blocks, which is called ‘Jiaobei’, and asked the deities if they are happy with the offerings. If the blocks fell with one flat side facing up and the other facing down, then it means a divine answer or a ‘yes’ answer. Otherwise, the representative needed to explain to the deities. Excuses can be someone’s absence or a failure to supply enough drinks. If these were the cases, he would ask for forgiveness, or serve more offerings and then throw and ask over again until the deities are satisfied.
Characters of fishermenWhile male villagers were throwing Jiaobei inside the temple, ladies gathered aside were busy with preparing the lunch. Some were responsible for chopping up the chickens and roasting pigs, others would cook in the kitchen with large pans. After a while of busy cooking, a lunch of seven or eight dishes was ready and served on several tables in front of the temple. People all ate standing and moved around the tables free to help themselves. This was the best moment when the opened and informal character of Boat Dwellers was clearly shown.
The Fall of the TraditionAs squatter areas in Tsuen Wan were demolished and the faithful generation passed on, the worship to Saint Yiu is losing its practitioners. When the tradition was in its hayday, worshippers came on the Birthday of Saint Yiu in such a continuous steam that the temple had to set twenty to thirty tables and served non- stop for the whole day. In addition, six firework clubs organised by neighbour communities would come and perform fireworks. Today, most believers are elder Tsuen Wan residents. Although they may take young people to the temple, the scale of ceremony today cannot be compared to that in the past.
There are three temples for worshipping Saint Yiu in Hong Kong now. The other two, the Shing Nui Kung on Ha Fa Shan, Tsuen Wan and the Saint Yiu Temple in Yau Tam Mei Village, Yuen Lung, are also built by believers. These two temples also have ceremonies on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month, but are not in the same scale as it is in Fu Yung Shan. The 16th day of the 6th lunar month is the date of Saint Yiu’s death and villagers come and pay their homage as well.
Festivals in Kau Sai ChauHung Shing is the most important deity to the villagers from Kau Sai Chau and its Birthday on the 13th of the second lunar month is the most important festival on the island. Both the Boat Dweller and the Hakka would be back to the village for the ceremony and performance. Nevertheless, Shui Sin Yeh remains a spiritual support to the Boat Dwellers as it was to their ancestors and the Birthday of the immortal is never forgotten. The Committee for Hung Shing’s Birthday in Kau Sai Chau supported to organise the ceremony on Shui Sin Yeh’s Birthday and provide regular worship services for villagers who wish for peace and at the same time took it as a chance for villagers that moved off the island to get together.
To Continue the TraditionFolk religions in Hong Kong have never been interrupted. For example, worshipping water deities is still found here, while it is not the case in the Mainland. Observing their traditional activities is helpful to understand Chinese beliefs and to trace the local history of a certain community.
10th Lunar Month
The 10th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarThe worship of water deities was once very popular in south-eastern coastal China where the residents’ livelihood was highly dependent on the seas. To guard against natural disasters, fishermen sought spiritual support in addition to their skills and wisdom to weather through difficulties. That is where the diversity of water deities was formed for blessing and good reward.
The Worship of Water DeitiesTin Hau is the most common goddess of the sea in South China, followed by Hung Shing, Tam Kung, Pak Ti and Long Mu. Other deities like Chu Tai Sin, Shui Sin, the Dragon Kings of the Sea and the Sea God are also worshipped in some fishing communities. However, as most boat dwellers migrated to inland areas, the tradition of worship has reached its twilight. Today, traditional water deity festival like the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh is only celebrated in Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung.
The Shui Sin Yeh TempleLocal fishermen said that there used to be a temple for Shui Sin Yeh on Shelter Island, which faces Kau Sai Chau in Sai Kung, but it was abandoned by residents running away for their lives when British troops fired the town, and eventually collapsed. Today in the Hung Shing Temple in Kau Sai Chau, three deities are worshiped: Hung Shing Tai Wong (ie. Hung Shing) which is in the centre of the altar, Choi Pak Shing Kwan (literally, the Lord of Wealth) and Shui Sin Yeh. The statue of Shui Sin Yeh, which has a red face and a sward in hand, is believed to be the one that originally was in the Shui Sin Yeh Temple on Shelter Island.
Celebrating the BirthdayAlthough most of the Boat Dwellers had moved to mainland, dozens of them will follow the tradition and come back to the tiny island on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month to celebrate the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh every year. They set roast pig and fruits as offerings and worshipped. I once saw a prayer squeezing through under the altar table like what people did beneath the feet of Taishi during the Taiping Qingjiao ceremony and also prayed for getting rid of bad lucks.
The 16th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarBeing a society composed of migrants from all over mainland China, Hong Kong accommodates a diversity of worshipped deities; some of them are not well known or even hardly heard of. The Lieniu Temple that venerates Saint Yiu the Virgin on Fu Yung Shan, Tsuen Wan is one of the temples that hardly known, but a number of faithful local believers in the community always come and worship Saint Yiu on the dates of her birth and death every year and the tradition has been kept alive even today.
But who is Saint Yiu the Virgin? According to the stele ‘In Memorial of Yiu the Virgin of Luoyang’ (Luoyang town is located in the Huizhou City, Boluo prefecture in Guangdong) on the gate wall of the temple that the Yiu clan of Kiu Kong offered in 1979, during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1487 – 1505), a 17-year-old girl from Yiu family in Jingjidu escaped away to a valley, when a gang of robber ransacked her village. Chased after by the gang, the girl climbed up to the top of the clip and jumped to her death for the integrity as a virgin. The Emperor heard about the story and was moved by Yiu so he rewarded her in name of ‘Lieniu’ (literally “a female martyr”) and recorded her behaviour to set a good example for the following generations. Subsequently, a Lieniu Temple was built up to pay homage to her and Yiu was known and worshipped as Saint Yiu the Virgin.
The Lieniu Temple on Fu Yung Shan
The first person who initiated the belief of Saint Yiu in Hong Kong is believed to be a Hakka woman from the Tang clan. Ms. Tang and her husband came to Hong Kong after the World War II. The couple settled down in Ma Sim Pai village in Tsuen Wan and Ms. Tang started worshiping Saint Yiu at home in 1959. When the government took the land, Ms. Tang built the Lienui Temple beside a huge rock on Fu Yung Shan in 1966, where the Sun Shan Village is located today.
FestivalSince the location of the temple is rather remote and not easily accessible, the temple is rarely visited. It was most visited on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month when worshippers came all the way over mountains to celebrate Saint Yiu’s Birthday. Others who came and helped to create the festival atmosphere were the lion dance and unicorn dance troups bringing along with their ‘Choi Ching’ (literally meaning plucking the green) performance, lively beating the load drums and cymbals, which breaks the silence in the village.
When the performance ended, a banquet of eight tables full of food and drinks was ready to treat everyone who comes. During the dinner, various sacred objects were sold by auction, which included red flower balls, gold necklaces, jade pendants, paper lanterns, models of sailboat, swords made up of coins. Each item was given auspicious names. For examples, a gold necklace was a ‘Peace Leash’, a sailboat model was a ‘Gold Sail in Tailwind’, a lantern was a ‘Light of Prosperity’ and a coin-made sword becames a ‘God Sword’. Reserve price was higher than the price in market, but because all the items were from the temple and convey positive meanings, the auction enjoyed good attendance and items were sold out at their highest prices. The auction had become the main source of income to organisers of the ceremony while helping to create a boisterous atmosphere for the festival.
Asking for ForgivenessWhen joss sticks were offered, male prayers stayed inside the temple and sent a representative to throw a pair of crescent-shaped divination blocks, which is called ‘Jiaobei’, and asked the deities if they are happy with the offerings. If the blocks fell with one flat side facing up and the other facing down, then it means a divine answer or a ‘yes’ answer. Otherwise, the representative needed to explain to the deities. Excuses can be someone’s absence or a failure to supply enough drinks. If these were the cases, he would ask for forgiveness, or serve more offerings and then throw and ask over again until the deities are satisfied.
Characters of fishermenWhile male villagers were throwing Jiaobei inside the temple, ladies gathered aside were busy with preparing the lunch. Some were responsible for chopping up the chickens and roasting pigs, others would cook in the kitchen with large pans. After a while of busy cooking, a lunch of seven or eight dishes was ready and served on several tables in front of the temple. People all ate standing and moved around the tables free to help themselves. This was the best moment when the opened and informal character of Boat Dwellers was clearly shown.
The Fall of the TraditionAs squatter areas in Tsuen Wan were demolished and the faithful generation passed on, the worship to Saint Yiu is losing its practitioners. When the tradition was in its hayday, worshippers came on the Birthday of Saint Yiu in such a continuous steam that the temple had to set twenty to thirty tables and served non- stop for the whole day. In addition, six firework clubs organised by neighbour communities would come and perform fireworks. Today, most believers are elder Tsuen Wan residents. Although they may take young people to the temple, the scale of ceremony today cannot be compared to that in the past.
There are three temples for worshipping Saint Yiu in Hong Kong now. The other two, the Shing Nui Kung on Ha Fa Shan, Tsuen Wan and the Saint Yiu Temple in Yau Tam Mei Village, Yuen Lung, are also built by believers. These two temples also have ceremonies on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month, but are not in the same scale as it is in Fu Yung Shan. The 16th day of the 6th lunar month is the date of Saint Yiu’s death and villagers come and pay their homage as well.
Festivals in Kau Sai ChauHung Shing is the most important deity to the villagers from Kau Sai Chau and its Birthday on the 13th of the second lunar month is the most important festival on the island. Both the Boat Dweller and the Hakka would be back to the village for the ceremony and performance. Nevertheless, Shui Sin Yeh remains a spiritual support to the Boat Dwellers as it was to their ancestors and the Birthday of the immortal is never forgotten. The Committee for Hung Shing’s Birthday in Kau Sai Chau supported to organise the ceremony on Shui Sin Yeh’s Birthday and provide regular worship services for villagers who wish for peace and at the same time took it as a chance for villagers that moved off the island to get together.
To Continue the TraditionFolk religions in Hong Kong have never been interrupted. For example, worshipping water deities is still found here, while it is not the case in the Mainland. Observing their traditional activities is helpful to understand Chinese beliefs and to trace the local history of a certain community.
The 10th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarThe worship of water deities was once very popular in south-eastern coastal China where the residents’ livelihood was highly dependent on the seas. To guard against natural disasters, fishermen sought spiritual support in addition to their skills and wisdom to weather through difficulties. That is where the diversity of water deities was formed for blessing and good reward.
The Worship of Water DeitiesTin Hau is the most common goddess of the sea in South China, followed by Hung Shing, Tam Kung, Pak Ti and Long Mu. Other deities like Chu Tai Sin, Shui Sin, the Dragon Kings of the Sea and the Sea God are also worshipped in some fishing communities. However, as most boat dwellers migrated to inland areas, the tradition of worship has reached its twilight. Today, traditional water deity festival like the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh is only celebrated in Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung.
The Shui Sin Yeh TempleLocal fishermen said that there used to be a temple for Shui Sin Yeh on Shelter Island, which faces Kau Sai Chau in Sai Kung, but it was abandoned by residents running away for their lives when British troops fired the town, and eventually collapsed. Today in the Hung Shing Temple in Kau Sai Chau, three deities are worshiped: Hung Shing Tai Wong (ie. Hung Shing) which is in the centre of the altar, Choi Pak Shing Kwan (literally, the Lord of Wealth) and Shui Sin Yeh. The statue of Shui Sin Yeh, which has a red face and a sward in hand, is believed to be the one that originally was in the Shui Sin Yeh Temple on Shelter Island.
Celebrating the BirthdayAlthough most of the Boat Dwellers had moved to mainland, dozens of them will follow the tradition and come back to the tiny island on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month to celebrate the Birthday of Shui Sin Yeh every year. They set roast pig and fruits as offerings and worshipped. I once saw a prayer squeezing through under the altar table like what people did beneath the feet of Taishi during the Taiping Qingjiao ceremony and also prayed for getting rid of bad lucks.
The 16th day of the 10th month of the Lunar CalendarBeing a society composed of migrants from all over mainland China, Hong Kong accommodates a diversity of worshipped deities; some of them are not well known or even hardly heard of. The Lieniu Temple that venerates Saint Yiu the Virgin on Fu Yung Shan, Tsuen Wan is one of the temples that hardly known, but a number of faithful local believers in the community always come and worship Saint Yiu on the dates of her birth and death every year and the tradition has been kept alive even today.
But who is Saint Yiu the Virgin? According to the stele ‘In Memorial of Yiu the Virgin of Luoyang’ (Luoyang town is located in the Huizhou City, Boluo prefecture in Guangdong) on the gate wall of the temple that the Yiu clan of Kiu Kong offered in 1979, during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1487 – 1505), a 17-year-old girl from Yiu family in Jingjidu escaped away to a valley, when a gang of robber ransacked her village. Chased after by the gang, the girl climbed up to the top of the clip and jumped to her death for the integrity as a virgin. The Emperor heard about the story and was moved by Yiu so he rewarded her in name of ‘Lieniu’ (literally “a female martyr”) and recorded her behaviour to set a good example for the following generations. Subsequently, a Lieniu Temple was built up to pay homage to her and Yiu was known and worshipped as Saint Yiu the Virgin.
The Lieniu Temple on Fu Yung Shan
The first person who initiated the belief of Saint Yiu in Hong Kong is believed to be a Hakka woman from the Tang clan. Ms. Tang and her husband came to Hong Kong after the World War II. The couple settled down in Ma Sim Pai village in Tsuen Wan and Ms. Tang started worshiping Saint Yiu at home in 1959. When the government took the land, Ms. Tang built the Lienui Temple beside a huge rock on Fu Yung Shan in 1966, where the Sun Shan Village is located today.
FestivalSince the location of the temple is rather remote and not easily accessible, the temple is rarely visited. It was most visited on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month when worshippers came all the way over mountains to celebrate Saint Yiu’s Birthday. Others who came and helped to create the festival atmosphere were the lion dance and unicorn dance troups bringing along with their ‘Choi Ching’ (literally meaning plucking the green) performance, lively beating the load drums and cymbals, which breaks the silence in the village.
When the performance ended, a banquet of eight tables full of food and drinks was ready to treat everyone who comes. During the dinner, various sacred objects were sold by auction, which included red flower balls, gold necklaces, jade pendants, paper lanterns, models of sailboat, swords made up of coins. Each item was given auspicious names. For examples, a gold necklace was a ‘Peace Leash’, a sailboat model was a ‘Gold Sail in Tailwind’, a lantern was a ‘Light of Prosperity’ and a coin-made sword becames a ‘God Sword’. Reserve price was higher than the price in market, but because all the items were from the temple and convey positive meanings, the auction enjoyed good attendance and items were sold out at their highest prices. The auction had become the main source of income to organisers of the ceremony while helping to create a boisterous atmosphere for the festival.
