overview

Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents. In Hong Kong, people of all sizes will practice religions, which has formed a rich and colorful religious culture in Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents mainly believe in Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, etc. Visitors can experience different religious cultures by visiting famous religious sites in the area.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous temples in Hong Kong, and it has become an indispensable custom to come here to grab incense on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Wong Tai Sin Temple is a typical temple of three religions in one, worshipping Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The name of the temple of Wong Tai Sin comes from the Taoist god Huang Chuping, and the incense is the most vigorous and is also the hall dedicated to Wong Tai Sin. Folklore says that Wong Tai Sin "responds to requests", so there are countless good men and women here all the year round to incense and ask for signs. In the signing area in front of the main hall, the sound of Yao signing cylinders came and went. The signature is free, there is only a number on the sign, and those who need to see the signature can go to the unsigned office not far away to buy, and the price ranges from HKD20-30. If a more in-depth de-signature is required, an additional fee will be charged. There are many popular shops in the lottery area, and there are photos with celebrities in the store.

Wong Tai Sin Temple covers an area of nearly 20,000 square meters, including the main hall, the Three Holy Churches, the Nine Dragon Wall, the Congxin Garden, etc., and the building combination is built according to the traditional Chinese custom of "left dragon and right phoenix", as well as the attributes of the five elements. If you are not interested in asking for a sign on incense, then it is recommended that you go to Congxin Garden. The environment in Congxin Garden is quiet, with ponds, bridges, courtyards, etc., rich in the charm of traditional Chinese gardens.

Visiting time: 30-60min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: 7:00-17:00

Address: No. 2, Chuk Yuen Village, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon

Phone: (852) 23278141

Official website: www.siksikyuen.org.hk

Tsz Shan Monastery

Tsz Shan Monastery is a new holy place for Buddhist tourism in Hong Kong in recent years. Tsz Shan Monastery was built by Hong Kong celebrity Li Ka-shing at a cost of HK$1.5 billion and took ten years to build. Tsz Shan Monastery opened to the public on 15 April 2015.

Tsz Shan Temple is located in Dapu Dongzi, surrounded by mountains and facing the sea, and the architecture and nature are integrated. The 76-meter-high outdoor giant Guanyin statue is particularly conspicuous, it is currently the second tallest outdoor Guanyin statue in the world, and the first height is the sea Guanyin in Sanya, Hainan. The 10-year-old building complex is very particular about the design and materials, the wood is made of rosewood imported from Africa, the lotus-shaped treasure cover of the three Buddha statues in the Daxiong Hall is plated with 24K gold, and the roof is made of Japanese fired silver tiles, and the overall design is anti-Tang Dynasty architectural style. Some of the monks' dormitories are equipped with bulletproof glass and steel plates, and the security level can be said to be very high.

At Tsz Shan Monastery, you don't see incense everywhere, but that doesn't mean it's not burning here. Burning incense is prohibited in Tsz Shan Temple, and it is replaced by water supply, which is recycled and used to water flowers and trees. There is no hall in the temple and no tour groups are accepted. Reservations are required for both members of the public and visitors who wish to visit, and there are also opportunities to sign up for pujas, tea meditations, scripture copying, and meditation activities organized at the temple, which only receives 400 people a day.

Tour time: 60-120min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: 9:30-17:00

Address: Tsz Tsz Temple, Tai Po Tung, New Territories

Telephone: (852) 21238666

Official website: www.tszshan.org

Chi Lin Pure Garden, South Lotus Garden Pool

Accustomed to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong's streets and the people of well-known scenic spots, it is hard to imagine that there is such a quiet place as Chi Lin Nunnery and Nanlian Garden Pond.

Chi Lin Nunnery is located on Chi Lin Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong, and the temple architecture is characterized by imitation of Tang Dynasty log structures. The South Lotus Garden Pond is an ancient garden that is adjacent to Chi Lin Pure Garden. The South Lotus Garden Pond is built based on the Tang Dynasty garden, and complements and integrates with the Zhilian Pure Garden, which is also a Tang style building.

Chi Lin Nunnery is a non-profit-making charitable organization of Hong Kong Buddhism, which includes a home for the elderly, a Buddhist Chi Lin Secondary School, a Chi Lin Nunnery Cultural Department, a Chi Lin Nunnery Night Academy, and a Chi Lin Nunnery Library. At the same time, Chi Lin Nunnery is the only "Ten Directions Jungle for Women" in Hong Kong, that is, it provides a place for female monks from all over the world to retreat.

Tour time: 60-120min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: 9:00-16:30

Address: 5 Chi Lin Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon (Chi Lin Net Court), 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon (South Lin Yuen Pool)

Tel: (852) 23541888 (Chi Lin Garden), 36589366 (Nanlian Garden Pond)

Official website: www.chilin.org (Nanlian Garden Pond), www.nanliangarden.org (Nanlian Garden Pond)

Baolian Temple, Temple of Heaven

Known as the "Southern Buddha Country", this temple with a history of more than 100 years has been full of incense for many years, and there is an endless stream of worshippers and tourists.

The Daxiong Treasure Hall of Baolian Temple enshrines Amitabha Buddha, Shakyamuni, and Medicine Buddha three Buddhas at the same time, although they are all Buddhas, but the difference is that Amitabha Buddha is the current Buddha of the Western Elysium, Shakyamuni Buddha is the current Buddha of this Suva world, and Medicine Buddha is the current Buddha of the Oriental pure glass world. The three Buddhas are enshrined at the same time and become the three Buddhas of the Heng Dynasty, which is still rare in domestic temples.

The temple architecture and environment of Baolian Temple are worth seeing, and the garden-style architecture with Chinese characteristics is integrated with the surrounding mountains and green plants, and the environment is quiet, which is a good place to relax. The temple also serves Buddhist food, so if you have time, you might want to try it. In and around the temple, free-range cattle can be seen everywhere, and they are not afraid of people and are not aggressive. They stay and graze freely, and there is quite a scene of harmony between people, nature, and animals.

The Giant Buddha next to the Zen Temple is world-famous. The total height of this bronze seated Buddha statue is about 34 meters, and it took 12 years to build. The Buddha statue sits south to north, with a round and beautiful face, and both ears hang down the shoulders. Visitors can climb the 268 stone steps to get up close and personal with the Big Buddha.

The transportation to Baolian Temple and the Big Buddha is very convenient, and there are many means of transportation to choose from. Both buses and cable cars are available directly. Of course, as a suggestion to enhance the experience, we recommend taking the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to visit.

Visiting time: 30-60min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: 9:00-18:00

Address: Ngong Ping Po Lin Temple

Phone: (852) 29855248

Official website: www.plm.org.hk

Daofeng Mountain

Dao Feng Shan is one of the famous places of Christian activities in Hong Kong, it is named after the Tao Feng Shan Christian Jungle, in addition to the Tao Feng Shan Christian Jungle, the Chinese Christian Culture Research Institute, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary are also located here. Built in 1930 by the Norwegian missionary Karl Ludvig Reichelt, the founder of the Dao Fung Shan Christian Jungle, and designed by Danish architect Johannes Prip-Moller, the Tao Fung Shan Complex is now a Grade 2 historic building in Hong Kong.

Pastor Karl Ludvig Reichelt was founded in the Daofeng Mountain Christian Jungle with the aim of promoting Christianity to people in Asia where Buddhism and Taoism were the main religions at that time. In order to reflect the mutual respect and integration between religions, Pastor Ai Xiangde built Daofeng Mountain in the style of Chinese temple architecture composed of white walls, green tiles and red columns. As a result, many visitors to Daofeng Mountain will be surprised by its non-traditional Christian European style. A trail on the periphery of the main complex at To Fung Shan leads to what is currently the largest cross in Hong Kong, which is engraved with the word "Cheng", which is full of religious significance. "Ming Array" is also a major feature of Daofeng Mountain, it is a place for visitors to pray, meditate, and meditate, "Ming Array" is made of pebbles on the sand in an orderly manner, it seems to be a labyrinth, but there is no fork in the road, dead alley, as long as you walk in, the circuitous passage will naturally bring you to the end.

As a place for religious people to retreat, Daofeng Mountain has a quiet environment, a quiet atmosphere, and is obviously visited by tourists, so it is more comfortable to play.

Visiting time: 30-90min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: All day

Address: 33 Fung Shan Road, Sha Tin Road, New Territories

Phone: (852) 26944038

Official website: www.tfscc.org

St. John's Cathedral

Christianity is the dominant religion in Hong Kong, and according to statistics, there are nearly half a million Christians in Hong Kong. St. John's Cathedral, also known as St. John's Cathedral, is the most famous place of Christian activities in Hong Kong, and it is also the oldest surviving Western-style church building in Hong Kong.

St. John's Cathedral was built in 1847 in the Gothic style, with minarets, pointed arches and stained glass painted in various colors being the most distinctive features of the building. Due to the damage caused by the war, most of the St. John's Cathedral we see today was restored and remodeled after the war.

St. John's Cathedral has daily services, usually in the morning and evening. St. John's Cathedral is an international church, and the congregation comes from all over the world, so the church worship language includes English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Filipino and other languages. In addition, the cathedral regularly hosts choirs and concerts, which can be found on the official website.

Visitors should be reminded to respect their beliefs and taboos when entering religious sites, such as not entering during worship times, taking off your hat when visiting, not turning on flash when taking photos, and not wearing short skirts and shorts when entering churches.

Visiting time: 30-60min

Reference ticket price: Free admission

Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday 7:00-19:30 Monday, Tuesday and Friday 7:00-18:00 Wednesday 7:00-18:30 Thursday 7:00-17:00 Public holidays 9:00-16:00

Address: 4-8 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong Island

Phone: (852) 25234157

Official website: www.stjohnscathedral.org.hk

Other recommendations:

Yuen Yuen Institute, Jewish Leah Church, Muslim Halal Chapel