TEMPLES OF TAI PING SHAN

At the end of the ^19th century, the plague reappeared in China. In Hong Kong, it was in the once densely populated Tai Ping Shan district that the devastation was most severe, with over 2,000 people killed in 3 months. Tai Ping Shan was razed to the ground to contain the epidemic. You'll notice a number of coffin stores in the area. They were originally set up to meet the funeral needs of the time.

Today, Tai Ping Shan and its adjacent streets are a trendy and lively district. With its art and designer boutiques, lively cafés and bakeries, this area is one of our favorites. The street also hides several temples, much less well known to tourists than the Man Mo Temple, but nonetheless very interesting.

The Pak Sing Ancestral Hall (or Kwong Fook I Tsz) at no. 40, hidden high up, dates back to the ^19th century. This multi-purpose red temple was designed to honor ancestors but also to provide shelter for the sick, and was once used as a storehouse for coffins of the deceased awaiting repatriation to China. A mausoleum with tablets commemorates migrant workers who died in Hong Kong.

Kwun Yum Temple, at no. 34, is at the top of the stairs. This place of worship is particularly prized for its healing and protective powers.

The Fook Tak Palace, at no. 20, is more modest but continues to be frequented by local worshippers.

The Tai Sui Temple, at no. 9, is home to 60 statuettes of gods linked to the 60-year cycle of the Chinese calendar.