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Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
This article is about the area in Hong Kong known as Wong Tai Sin.


圖片參考：http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/WongTaiSinDistrict.JPG/180px-WongTaiSinDistrict.JPG



圖片參考：http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png
Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin, outside the Wong Tai Sin MTR Station.

For the Chinese deity, see Wong Tai Sin.
For the administrative district in Hong Kong, see Wong Tai Sin District.
For the famous temple in Hong Kong, see Wong Tai Sin Temple.
Wong Tai Sin (黄大仙) is an area in Wong Tai Sin District, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area was named after the Wong Tai Sin Temple.
Wong Tai Sin is surrounded by northeast Tsz Wan Shan, east Diamond Hill, south San Po Kong, south west Tung Tau and west Wang Tai Hom. Lion Rock is located north west of Wong Tai Sin.
Public housing estates in the area include Upper Wong Tai Sin Estate, Lower Wong Tai Sin Estate, Chuk Yuen North Estate and Chuk Yuen South Estate. Fung Wong San Tsuen is also considered part of Wong Tai Sin.
The area was known as Chuk Yuen in the past, especially before the intake of two Wong Tai Sin Estate. The populace of the estates, the prosperity of Wong Tai Sin Temple and the completion of Wong Tai Sin MTR Station gradually eclipses its former name.


History

For history before the completion Wong Tai Sin Estates in 1960s, see Chuk Yuen

Transport
The area of Wong Tai Sin is centre at the main road Lung Cheung Road. The Wong Tai Sin Station of MTR runs beneath the road. Two shopping centres, Lung Cheung Mall and Wong Tai Sin Shopping Centre.

Wong Tai Sin (黃大仙; Pinyin: Huáng Dàxian), literally translates to the Great Immortal Wong.

According to Self-Descriptions of Chisongzi (赤松子自述) located in Wong Tai Sin Temple, in Hong Kong, Wong Tai Sin was born Wong Cho Ping (黃初平 Huang Chuping) in 338 in today's Lanxi City, Jinhua County (金華縣蘭溪市), Zhejiang Province, China. He started practicing Taoism at fifteen. Forty years later, he was able to transform stones into sheep. He is also known as Immortal Chisong (赤松仙子), named after his hermit mountain. August 23 (lunar calendar) is Wong Tai Sin's birthday.

In the early 20th century, Leung Renyan (梁仁庵) spread the influence of Wong Tai Sin from Qiaoshan (樵山), Guangxi province of China to Wan Chai, in Hong Kong.

Leung arrived in Hong Kong in 1915. He rented an apartment in Wan Chai, and set up an altar to Wong Tai Sin in the apartment. Later he opened a herbal medicine shop nearby and moved the altar to the back of the shop. Customers coming to his shop could pray at Wong Tai Sin's altar and seek advice for their ailments. Leung would then fill their prescriptions. We can assume that healing did take place, as the popularity of Wong Tai Sin began to grow.

However in 1918, Leung's shop was destroyed by fire. In 1921, Leung received a message from Wong Tai Sin instructing him that a new shrine should be built. The message said that the god had chosen a site that was 3,600 paces from a pier. Leung soon found the spot at the foot of Lion Rock Mountain, near Chuk Yuen village, which was the right distance from the Kowloon City pier.

Leung continued to receive messages from the god dictating the orientation, and dimensions of the temple to be built. Wong Tai sin also told Leung that the shrine should be called Puyi Tan, and that the temple compound should be called Sik Sik Yuen (嗇色園).

Today, Sik Sik Yuen is an educational and charitable foundation, that true to Leung's origins as a healer, runs a free clinic.

The Wong Tai Sin area and Wong Tai Sin District of Hong Kong are named after the Wong Tai Sin Temple located there.

Wong Tai Sin: District Highlights

(3) History

The District used to be a predominately rural area sparsely populated by natives of Pun U and Hakka origin. It became part of New Kowloon in 1937. With the arrival of a large number of refugees from Mainland China to Hong Kong in the late 1940s, numerous squatter huts began to emerge in the District. Construction of public housing in the District started in 1957 with the first resettlement block of the Mark I type built at Lo Fu Ngam (later renamed as Lok Fu). Over the years, the District has undergone a facelift with the gradual clearance of its squatter areas and redevelopment of its public housing estates.

(5) Places of Interest

(A)Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most renowned temples in Hong Kong and also enjoys great reputation overseas. According to legend, Wong Tai Sin (also known as Deity of Red Pine Hill) is well-known for his capability in curing people and his benevolence. He is also able to satisfy all requests and his predictions always come true. Besides, the Temple is the only Taoist temple in Hong Kong authorized to hold Taoist wedding.

At the end of the Lunar year and on the first fifteen days of the Lunar New Year, the Temple is crowded with worshippers who come to give thanks to Wong Tai Sin for his blessing in the past year and pray for his blessing in the coming year. The 23rd day of the 8th Lunar month is the birthday of Wong Tai Sin. On that day, all his disciples will assemble at the Main Altar of the Temple at noon for a worshipping ceremony.
　
　
　
　
　
　

　
(B)Chi Lin Nunnery is a scenic spot with increasing popularity and renowned both in Hong Kong and abroad. As a result of a redevelopment project in 1989, Chi Lin Nunnery has now become a grand Monastery Complex built in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

Opened to the public since May 2000, this stately and traditional Monastery Complex is believed to become a valued cultural heritage of China in the years to come. On the 8th day of the 12th Lunar month and the 15th day of the 1st Lunar month, the Nunnery will hold ceremonies for thanksgiving for the past year and blessing for the coming year. Besides, on the 8th day of the 4th Lunar month, the Nunnery will hold a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of the Buddha.


　
(C) Nga Tsin Wai Village is a place of historic interest: the origin of the Villagers dated back to the end of the Nan Song Dynasty. The Village is among the oldest villages in Kowloon and is the only traditional Chinese fortified village in the urban area still remaining intact in terms of the village houses, the Clan Hall and the Tin Hau Temple. According to hearsay, there were a watchtower, a moat and a drawbridge. The moat was filled up during the Japanese occupation period to facilitate the transportation of construction materials to build the airport. The drawbridge only existed during the days of the less peaceful times. Two cannons, which had been installed to defend the Village, were buried near the entrance.


Once every ten years (normally at the end of the 10th Lunar month), the Nga Tsin Wai Village will celebrate the remarkable Tai Ping Ching Chiu (Da Chiu) to provide the villagers with an opportunity to make thanksgiving to Tin Hau for pacifying and driving away spirits, thereby endowing the villagers with peace and blessing. The first Da Chiu ceremony started in 1726 and the latest one was held in 1996. The celebration usually lasts for a couple of days, with villagers paying homage to Tin Hau and participants enjoying episodes of puppet shows and Chinese opera performances. Vegetarian food is served during these few days.