I set the alarm at 9 a.m. but woke up around 10+, was rather tired as I didn’t get much sleep the past couple days. The view from my window overlooking King’s Park was rather nice, sort of green on one side and high rise buildings on the other. Didn’t bother to take a photo though, since the window was a bit dusty and it was locked, so I couldn’t open it. Pity.
Got ready and walked out around 11 a.m. in search of food and Tin Hau temple, which was supposed to be nearby my hotel, approx 340m. I read about it on Discover Hong Kong, it was a temple dedicated to the deity Tin Hau who overlooks the well-being of seafarers, fishermen etc. It was originally right beside the sea but since land was reclaimed it now sits in the middle of today’s Yau Ma Tei. Good that they kept it though.
So I walked along Nathan Road, saw lots of shops selling winter clothing with discounts everywhere, definitely lots of tourists especially from China but I suppose Tsim Tsa Tsui would be even busier. And naturally I could not locate the Tin Hau temple, rather frustrating because it was supposed to be so near! Not that the walk was not nice, I passed by a ‘public square’ on the way in search of the temple but I do want to get on with my day. Didn’t really feel like taking out my huge map and look the perplexed tourist so I walked on for what was definitely more than 340m.
I did ask a couple of people for directions but to no avail. Fine, maybe they are Christians. I reached maybe 750m when I decided to turn into one of the streets behind Nathan Road. You see, Nathan Road is one long straight road that begins from Mongkok and ends in Tsim Tsa Tsui. On both sides of the road there would be even smaller roads and everything is in nice squares, very orderly and good town planning. This part of town at least. The first street behind Nathan Road was much quieter and a lot of shops were closed because it was a Sunday. I asked a parking place attendant for directions and he gave me some really good pointing, literally. So, walked a bit more and turned into the third street where Hongkies lead their everyday lives.
There was a small restaurant on the opposite side of the road and they had plastic tables and stools outside their shop, not unlike our mamak stalls. One of the two tables outside was occupied by two men. As I walked on I heard a commotion behind me, so I turned around and looked. A third man had approached one of the two men, I had no idea what it was about but the man sitting down was yelling at him, “zhao la, zhao la” meaning “go away”. The third man backed a little but kept looking at the man who kept yelling at him. Suddenly the man stood up and grabbed his stool to threaten the third man, then gave him a loud and painful hit at his head with his stool. A couple other people pulled the third guy aside and he eventually went away. The first man then went back to his table, mumbling to his friend. Now, this is not something you would read on Discover Hong Kong.
Anyway I walked a bit more and found the temple. Guess what? It was actually just behind the ‘public square’ I had passed by earlier, which was just a 200m walk from my hotel! But it was ok, I wouldn’t miss the squabble for anything.
I had thought that the temple would be gigantic in size, seeing the prominence given by a few tourist books and maps. The Tin Hau temple turned out to be quite a normal temple but I suppose it would interest people who do not grow up in Chinese communities. My grandmother and my mom used to take me to temples after temples after temples as they offer fruits and flowers to appease the gods and pray for good fortune, I guess I have grown rather accustomed to seeing big bright red temples with assorted deities’ figurines.
Tin Hau temple faces the Yau Ma Tei community park where there were a lot of old people just sitting down or playing Chinese chess. It was rather smoky though there weren’t a lot of people – after all I was there around 11+. A Caucasian was video taping the temple while his female partner looked on in fascination at a couple of devotees kneeling down praying rather ferociously. A mother and his early teen daughter were seated at the fortune telling table, where a really old Chinese man was preparing to ply his trade and reveal heaven’s secrets. I did not take any photographs; I thought it would be disrespectful in my own made-up self-superstition thingy. Not that those who took photographs would die an early death, no I am not saying that. But that is how I feel and to each his/her own, so back to the original point; I did not snap a single photograph.
I didn’t take any of the Yau Ma Tei community park either, though I would have loved to take one of an old lady sitting on a bench talking to herself. But nah, I don’t really fancy being cursed or beaten.
And you can really get your fortune told anywhere. Just beside the temple and the park was a makeshift roadside altar with a table and a woman ready to tell your fortune for a price. How exorbitant, I didn’t ask. I walked on.
Read more:
Day 1 : To Hong Kong
Day 2.1 : In Search of Tin Hau
Day 2.2 : The Octopus Strikes Back
Day 2.3 : Flower Crazy
Day 2.4 : Central; A Different World
Day 2.5 : Night Time, Light Time
Day 3.1 : The Buddha Beckons
Day 3.2 : To The Peak and Back
Day 3.3 : This Girl Needs a Beer
Day 4 : Leaving Hong Kong
Some thoughts on Hong Kong
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