Man Mo Temple (Hong Kong)

Man Mo Temple or Man Mo Miu is a temple for the worship of the Civil or Literature God Man Tai (文帝) / Man Cheong (文昌) and the Martial God Mo Tai (武帝) / Kwan Tai (關帝). The two Deities were popularly patronized by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in the civil examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties.[1] There are several Man Mo temples in Hong Kong, the best known of which is the temple in Sheung Wan.

Man Mo Temple
Entrance of Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road
Traditional Chinese文武廟
Simplified Chinese文武庙

Sheung Wan
Man Mo Temple complex, Hollywood Road. From left to right: Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple, Kung So.

The largest Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong is on 124–126 Hollywood Road, in Sheung Wan.[2] It was built in 1847.[1] It is part of a complex that comprises three adjacent blocks: Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple (No. 128 Hollywood Road)[3] and Kung So.

The Man Mo Temple, the main building of the complex, is dedicated to the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Kwan Tai. Lit Shing Kung (列聖宫) is for the worship of all heavenly gods. Kung So (公所), to its west, was an assembly hall where community affairs and disputes were settled.[4]

In 1908, the temple was officially entrusted to Tung Wah Board of Directors.[4] The temple has since been managed by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.[3] It was graded as a Grade I historic building in 1993 and it is now a declared monument.[5]

It is open from 8:00am to 6:00pm daily.

Tai Po
Man Mo Temple, Tai Po

The Man Mo Temple in Fu Shin Street (富善街), Tai Po, was built in 1893[6] to mark the founding of Tai Wo Shi (Tai Wo Market Town, now commonly known as Tai Po Market). It has been listed as a declared monument of Hong Kong.[7]

Lantau
Man Mo Temple, Lantau

At Pak Ngan Heung (白銀鄉), in Mui Wo, Lantau Island,[8] this Man Mo Temple was rebuilt in 1958 by the Chinese Temples Committee to worship Man Cheong and Kwan Tai.[9] It is not graded.

The Hollywood Road temple made an appearance in the video game Shenmue II for the Dreamcast and Xbox consoles. The temple and its grounds can be explored. However, its location in the video game is different from its actual place.

See also

References
  1. Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items, pp.31-32 Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Sheung Wan: Get to Know Hong Kong's Coolest Neighborhood". 6 June 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  3. Tung Wah Group of Hospitals - Services Centres Information
  4. Introduction to 1444 Historic Buildings, p.16 Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Antiquities and Monuments Office: Man Mo Temple Compound, Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
  6. The Tai Po Book, p.37 Archived 2011-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Antiquities and Monuments Office: Man Mo Temple, Tai Po
  8. Exploring Islands. Man Mo Temple, Mui Wo. Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Introduction to 1,444 Historic Buildings. Item #1429 Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
Man Mo Temple, Sheung Wan
Man Mo Temple, Tai Po
Man Mo Temple, Lantau

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