the.blog @scwleung

I was going to write about this a few days ago when I actually went to the temple (I believe it was a Wednesday). Still, better late than never.

The air hung thick with incense; I can barely make out the large number of candles laid in front of the idols. Incense holders were continuously emptied by temple employees, only to be filled again mere seconds later. People of all ages were around me hustling and bustling for some semblance of space in front of the altar. The crashing of cymbals and banging drums were deafening. It was utter chaos and everybody there were not only willing to be there, but they also wanted to be there.

I was at the Guan Yum Temple (loose translation – Lady of Grace Temple) close to where I live in Hong Kong. My mission: pray my heart out for salvation. Mind you, I haven’t sinned [actively] and everyone else at the temple were in the same boat; it’s just that in a sect of chinese religion, and depending on the chinese zodiac under which you were born, you may be offending one of the many minor deities in the vast chinese religious structure. Apparently, my time has come.

Typical chinese temples are definitely not for the claustrophobic nor the agoraphobic. It is cramped; you can barely see; eager and devout prayers duke it out for limited space. On top of all that, incense is everywhere: in front of the altars, in front of and throughout the temple, and even overhead (where coils of incense almost hides the ceiling). All of this make for an uncomfortable and wholly odorous sensation. Still, through all of this, I was careful to make some interesting observations.

1. You really only see the old and the real young there (mostly dragged along by parents). Perhaps it’s just the changing of the times, but there appears to be very few teenagers and young adults (19 – 30). There were a few, but they were somewhat clumsy and aloof in such a setting (myself included).
2. Religion is still taken very seriously. Despite the lack of youth in attendence, those who were there were extremely devout. Not only were they willing to spend money to do this (yes…a non-trivial amount is usually spent per trip), but they also spent a large amount of time in front of the altar in active prayer, not to mention the aggressiveness that some prayers take to secure their spot (my mom had her hair singed by an elderly woman trying to light her incense).
3. Religion is big business. As stated previously, lots of money get spent on trips like this. In fact, within a block from the temple, there are usually a number of shops that deal specifically in incense, flowers and other praying tools. They usuallly make killings this time of the year. There is even a shop set up inside the temple to sell items that may be deemed even holier.
4. There is a lot of fire. This should come as no surprise, as incense burns and something is needed to light it. Though what I have neglected to mention is that sacrifices are typically burnt as well.
5. Not all people are jerks and they like to do things properly. Despite my previous comment about my mom’s hair getting burnt, there are still plenty of nice people willing to help. A nice elderly lady was kind enough to point out certain things I was doing incorrectly, which was nice.

My apologies for the lack of photos, but like most religions, taking photographs of sacred places is pretty much forbidden. I hope this gives you a candid look into a bit of chinese religion. Please leave a comment if you found this fascinating.