Lung Cheung Rd, New Kowloon, Wong Tai Sin
Hong Kong
7:00-17:30
There's a very practical approach to prayer at one of Hong Kong's most exuberant places of worship. Here the territory's three major religions -- Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism -- are all celebrated under the same roof. You'd think that highly ornamental religious buildings would look strange with highly visible vending machines and LCD displays in front of them, but Wong Tai Sin pulls it off in cacophonic style. The temple was established in the early 20th century, on a different site, when two Taoist masters arrived from Guangzhou with the portrait of Wong Tai Sin -- a shepherd boy said to have healing powers -- that still graces the main altar. In the '30s the temple was moved here; continuous renovations make it impossible to distinguish old from new.
