The 5 Best Sacred & Religious Sites in Cheung Chau, China

Reviewed By Mairwen1

This is a very easy temple to visit because its only about a 5-10 min walk from the ferry terminal. Entry is free. It has special resonance today because it was built by local survivors of a terrible plague that swept the island in the 1770s. Hoping for a miracle, they desperately paraded images of the god Pak Tai through their narrow streets. It seemed to work and in gratitude, they banded together to honour and thank Pak Tai by building this temple. As you enter, 4 stone lions guard the entrance. If you look up there is also pair of colourful, ceramic dragons along the roofline, warding off evil and ensuring wealth and peace. Between the lions and the dragons, the temple is very well protected. Inside, it’s quite large. The central main hall is dedicated to Pak Tai, god of the sea. He also goes by the pleasingly dramatic name, ‘Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven’. He is surrounded by hanging coils of smoky incense, offerings of fruit and flowers and red cloths and is flanked by numerous other gods. I was more intrigued by the two large statues of menacing looking generals. They look as if they are just dying to strike you down at any minute. The one with his hand upraised is known as "Thousand Miles Eye" because he as the power to see everything. The other one is "Favourable Wind Ear" and he can hear from any distance. An unbeatable combination of superpowers. There are also 2 separate side halls, one on either side of the temple. Don't miss the hall on the left. It has an excellent information panel in English and a brilliant White Tiger mural which seems to be made of mosaic shards. Today the temple is most famous for its annual bun ceremony, which features 13m high towers of with up to 20,000 buns. People scramble up, trying to grab as many as they can from the top. GETTING THERE: From the ferry, turn left and walk for about 7 minutes along the main road, Pak She St that follows the harbour. OPEN: 7am – 5pm COST: free