6. Hung Shing Temple

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DAA 2015 WC

The worship of Hung Shing originates from the worship of stone, a phallic symbol. The Hung Shing Temple in Wan Chai was built around a huge stone, with the statue of Hung Shing beneath it. The exact year of construction is hard to be traced, but reading from the couplet on the column, the Temple was renovated in 1860. Next to the Hung Shing Temple is a Sea-guarding Guan Yin Temple, for the two temples were fronting the sea at the time they were built.

The road in front of them marked Wan Chai’s original coastline before the British came to start the first reclamation project in Hong Kong in the mid-19th century. The reclamation widened the path in front of the temples which became the majestic Queen’s Road East, and the coastline of Wan Chai was also extended to Praya East (now Johnston Road).

Today, the Hung Shing Temple is still frequented by worshippers who come to seek advice from the fortune tellers stationing at the temple.

Source: Wan Chai Coastline