Wong Tai Sin District

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Shatin Pass Road

Shatin Pass Road and Jat's Incline are one of the most popular driving and hiking Travel Routes in Kowloon and have been selected as the Travel Route for the Kowloon Walk for a Million, an annual charitable fund-raising activity organized by the Community Chest.

Shatin Pass Road is a meandering lane at the mid-level of the Lion Rock Mountain and Tsz Wan Shan and Jat's Incline is at the mid-level of Tate's Cairn and Fei Ngo Shan (the highest mountain in Kowloon). Together, they form a scenic trail for morning walkers, hikers and drivers. The Travel Route is about 6 kilometres in length and takes approximately two hours to complete on foot and about 20 minutes by car.(delete the paragraph break)

Visitors can enjoy the fresh air and the marvelous views on the journey. The highlights of the Travel Route include:

(a) The Guan Yin Temple and the Boulders behind the Temple;

(b) The entrance to Stage 5 (Tate's Cairn - Tai Po Road) of the MacLehose Trail, which is located on Shatin Pass Road;

(d) A vantage point, which is located at the junction of Shatin Pass Road and Jat's Incline, offers a panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island, the Victoria Harbour, Lei Yue Mun and the former Hong Kong International Airport, as well as part of the Kowloon Peninsula.

Guan Yin Temple

The Guan Yin Temple was built in 1853 (the 3rd year of Xian Feng of the Qing Dynasty). It is now managed by TWGH Community Service Division. Renovation work with a rebuilt columbarium of the Temple was completed in 1988. With a history of over 145 years, it is not only a place for worship, but also a place of great historic interest.

Its interesting features include:

(a) Shui Yue Hall

The hall, houses a statue of the Guan Yin, is the Goddess's home. It is said that the Goddess is the kindest among all Buddhist deities. She protects people from suffering and disaster.

(b) The Main Hall

This hall is mainly for worshipping the Three Buddhas, namely Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha (residing in the western paradise) and Medicine Buddha. It is said that the Three Buddhas have the power of saving people from sufferings and curing disease.

Paintings on the two sides of the hall portray the story of how the Indian Prince became the Buddha and founded Buddhism.

(i) The Boulder for praying for good marriages and "crystal-gazing" for a future spouse; and

(ii) The Boulder for praying for wealth and "crystal-gazing" for future wealth.

Fa Zang Temple

The Fa Zang Temple houses a company of giant Buddhist statues.

The Fa Zang Temple is a Buddhist Temple founded by Master He Qing in 1948. Reconstruction of the Temple started in 1984 and completed in 1992.

It occupies an area of 1,000 square metres. Its interesting features include:

(a) Heng Ha Hall located at the forefront of the Temple is for housing the two Bodhisattvas guarding the temple gate.

(b) Hall of Celestial Kings and Veda Hall located behind Heng Ha Hall for housing:

(i) Maitreya: Buddha in the future;

(ii) The Four Great Kings: the four Bodhisattvas for protecting the people; and

(iii) Bodhisattva Veda: the Bodhisattva for protecting the sangha.

(i) The Shakyamuni Buddha: the great religious leader of Buddhism;

(ii) The Amitabha Buddha: the Buddha residing in the western paradise;

(iii) The Medicine Buddha: for removing obstacles and promoting longevity; and

(iv) The Bodhisattva Manjushri and the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra: the two attendants of the Shakyamuni Buddha; and

(v) 18 Arhats : the 18 Disciples of Buddha who attain realisations.

(d) On the two sides of the Main Hall are Guan Yin Hall and Qie Lan Hall. The former is for worshipping Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, while the latter is for worshipping Samgha-arama who has the power of conquering evil.

Lion Rock Park

The Lion Rock Park is the starting point of a number of famous trails in Kowloon.

The Park was built in 1966. It occupies an area of 10 hectares. There are a barbecue site, a baseball court, an archery range and amenities for children.

Starting at the Park and walking along the various footpaths, you are able to:

(a) reach the Lion Rock, which is 495 metres above the sea level and shaped like a lion. A part of this footpath has been classified as a "track way"; and

(b) see the relics of dilapidated fortifications and air-raid shelters, which were constructed along a defence line against the Japanese invasion during the Second World War.

Lok Fu Centre

The Lok Fu Centre is the largest commercial shopping centre under the Housing Authority. Its development comprises two phases, with Phase I completed in 1985 and Phase 2 completed in 1991. It serves as a district shopping complex for the residents of Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon City.

With a total lettable area of over 37,000 square metres, the centre has more than 200 shops of various types, including a large department store, banks, cinemas, restaurants, fast-food shops, and other retail shops. Variety shows, performances and carnivals are regularly held at the Exhibition Hall, the Open Deck, the Pedestrian Deck, the Podium Plaza and the Atrium.

All the shops and malls have an integrated design and are centrally air-conditioned and connected by footbridges. Its outstanding design has won the Certificate of Merit awarded by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects in 1991.

Morse Park

Morse Park is among the largest parks in Kowloon. Its tropical palm garden is the only one in Hong Kong.

The Park completed in 1967, with an area of about 15.8 hectares. After several improvements, it now comprises five different parts, providing a wide variety of recreational facilities.

Those who are interested in plants might wish to see for themselves the following:

(a) The tropical palm garden, where a collection of palm trees are grown. Over 80 trees of 23 species coming from Asia, including China, Taiwan and the Southeast Asia, are grown on the 2,000 square-metre lawn;

(b) The arboretum, where a collection of beautiful trees of rare species are grown. Over 100 trees of 30 species coming from various countries are grown on a 2,700 square-metre lawn; and

Wong Tai Sin Temple

The Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of Hong Kong's most renowned temples. It is said that Wong Tai Sin is able to "make every wish come true upon request" and gives accurate predictions. Furthermore, it is also a scenic spot full of beautiful ornate architecture and provides a tranquil environment amidst the high-rise buildings in the District. Moreover, it is the first Taoist temple in Hong Kong where the Government permits Taoist weddings and issues marriage certificates.

It is said that Wong Tai Sin (also known as Huang Chu-ping) was born in Lan Xi City of Jin Hua County in Zhejiang Province around 328 and later became a deity at Heng Shan (also known as the Red Pine Hill). Liang Ren-an, a Taoist priest, and others brought the sacred portrait of Wong Tai Sin from Guangdong to Hong Kong in 1915. Following several relocations, the Wong Tai Sin Temple was formally established by Sik Sik Yuen at its present site in 1921. It was originally a private place for worship but has been open to the public since 1956. It combines three traditional Chinese religions: Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

It covers an area of 18,000 square metres. The interesting features include:

(a) The Main Altar is where the portrait of Wong Tai Sin is located. Worshippers pay homage to Wong Tai Sin there, and pray for good fortune through offerings and pray for divine guidance through fortune-telling lots.

(b) The Three Saints Hall is where the three Taoist and Buddhist deities (Lu Zu, Guan Yin and Guan Di) are worshipped.

(i) The Bronze Pavilion ("metal"): where Wong Tai Sin rests and females are forbidden;

(ii) The Archives Hall ("Wood"): the general office;

(iii) The Fountain ("water"): water is emitted from the spout and creates a hemisphere;

(iv) The Yue Heung Shrine ("fire"): where the Buddha of Lighting the Lamp is worshipped; and

(v) The Earth Wall ("earth"): which is normally built in front of the shrine of all temples.

(d) The Unicorn Hall (the Confucian Hall) is where Confucius, the grand master of education, is worshipped.

(e) The Yee Mut Hall (the Memorial Hall) is where the memorial tablets of the deceased Taoist members of Sik Sik Yuen are placed and worshipped.

(f) The Fung Ming Hall (Hall of the Phoenix Song) is the function hall of Sik Sik Yuen for holding local community activities.

(g) Outside the Fung Ming Hall is a white statue of a flock of goats carved out of Han Bai Yu (white stone).

(h) The Good Wish Garden is an exotic Chinese style garden. It is a replica of the Beijing Yi He Yuan. There is a Wall of Nine Dragons copied from the Imperial Palace in Beijing. In the 5,600 square-metre garden, there are a corridor, bridges, pagodas, rocks, streams, ponds, cascades and greenery.

(i) Outside the Temple precincts, there are oblation stalls and fortune-telling arcades organized by the Tung Wah Group.

Fung Tak Park

The recreational amenities in Fung Tak Park feature selected episodes from a Chinese fairy tale, "Journey to the West".

The Park was built in 1994 at a cost of $49 million. It occupies an area of 1.1 hectares and has been developed in harmony with the natural topography there.

The Park is divided into four parts with specific themes:

(a) the birthplace of the monkey king: "Mountain of Blossoms and Fruits" and "Cave with a Veiling Cascade";

(b) the Palace of the "Dragon King" or "God of the Sea": "Palace of Crystal" and the mace which subsequently became the weapon of the monkey king;

(d) the home of the "Bull Demon" and "Princess with an Iron Fan" (his wife): "Flaming Mountain".

Visitors will find the amenities of the Park created with the above themes, coupled with a modern design both interesting and refreshing.

Chi Lin Nunnery

The Chi Lin Nunnery is the only institution in Hong Kong recognized as a "nu zhong shi fang cong lin". In other words, it is a nunnery open to nuns from all quarters and its abbess is selected purely on merit. The Nunnery has undergone a magnificent redevelopment with the construction of a Monastery Complex modeled on Tang Dynasty architecture. The grand and elegant Complex is destined to become part of China's cultural heritage in the future.

The Chi Lin Nunnery is a Buddhist nunnery founded by Ven. Wai Um and others in 1934. It has been recognized as a "nu zhong shi fang cong lin" since 1946. The Chi Lin Nunnery Redevelopment Project was commenced in 1989 and it has been open to the public since mid-2000.

The Redevelopment Project covers an area of 330,000 square metres. Its interesting feature is the Monastery Complex comprising the following:

(a) Shan Men (the three doors) is the main entrance of the Nunnery, which symbolizes the light guiding people to liberation.

(b) Behind Shan Men is a Lotus Garden. It is a scenic place featuring blooming lotuses with different types of beauty during the day and the night and the different seasons.

(c) The Hall of the Celestial Kings is the first grand hall next to the entrance and is situated in front of a courtyard. On the two sides of this Hall stand a pair of symmetrical towers, namely, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. This Hall is meant for greeting and guiding the people and also guarding the Nunnery.

(d) The Hall of Medicine Buddha and Hall of Guan Yin are located to the left and right of the courtyard respectively. The former is for praying for longevity and good fortune of the people and the latter is for holding various religious ceremonies.

(e) The Main Hall is located behind the courtyard. Being the centre of the Complex, it is the most important Hall in the Monastery. It is a place for conducting religious activities and for the believers to offer their prayers to Shakyamuni Buddha.

(f) Immediately following the Main Hall in importance is Wan Fo Ta (the Ten-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda), a multi-storey pagoda housing over ten thousand Buddha statues. It is located at the northeastern corner of the Nunnery. Its traditional Buddhist architecture has great symbolic significance, which symbolizes a gradual ascending process in the purification of the mind.

(g) Pu Tong Tower, located to the northwest of the Main Hall, is used to store the ashes of the Nunnery's deceased nuns.

(h) Also, there are the Patriarch Hall, the Ancestral Hall, the Prayer Hall, the Dharma Hall, an abbots' room and a scripture library.

(i) On the right of the Nunnery is a traditional Chinese monastic garden with circuitous landscaping and rock garden.

Hammer Hill Road Leisure Pool

Hammer Hill Road Leisure Pool is a heated leisure pool complex with various kinds of water games.

Opened in 1996, the Leisure Pool has become a very popular spot, especially for families with children. It occupies an area of 1.88 hectares. The complex comprises an indoor heated leisure pool, an indoor heated training pool, an outdoor paddling pool, two outdoor leisure pools, a fountain, a restaurant and a shop. There are many interesting water games, including a mock pirate ship, two play structures, a lily pad walk, wood log walks, water guns, slides in animal shapes and a central island with a cascade.

Note: The word "old" is added before Hong Kong International Airport.

Nga Tsin Wai Village

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 one of the traditional Chinese fortified villages in the urban area still remaining intact in terms of the village houses, the Clan Hall and the Tun Hau Temple.

According to the legend, their ancestors (the Ng, Chan and Lee Clans) followed the fugitive emperor and settled in Kowloon in around 1278 (at the end of the Nan Song Dynasty). They constructed the Tin Hau Temple in around 1352 (near the end of the Yuan Dynasty) and the fortified village in around 1724 (the second year of Yong Zheng of the Qing Dynasty). The Village has been named to Nga Tsin Wai Village, meaning literally "the Walled Village in front of the Yamen (Chinese Government Office)". The Village has another name, "Hing Yau Yue" which means "overflowing prosperity".

The Village occupies an area of approximately 0.4 hectare. There are about 100 village houses separated by 3 narrow streets and 6 sidelanes in a rectangular layout. There is a granite stone at the top of the entrance engraved with the Chinese characters, "Hing Yau Yue", which are said to be the handwritings of the Song Emperor: Located at the back of the Village, the Ng Clan Hall is an ancestral hall rarely found in the urban area (Normally, the public are not allowed to enter except with prior agreement to the villagers concerned). Located inside the Village, the Tin Hau Temple is for worshipping Tin Hau.

According to hearsay, there was a watchtower, a moat and a drawbridge. The moat was filled up during the Japanese occupation to facilitate the transportation of construction materials to build the airport. The drawbridge only existed during the days of less peaceful times. 2 cannons, which had been installed to defend the Vilage, were buried near the entrance.

Plaza Hollywood

The Plaza Hollywood is a masterpiece of the award-winning American designer Brennan Beer Gorman. The shopping mall occupies a total floor space of 600,000 square feet, with over 200 shops offering various kinds of popular items on four storeys. The Star Atrium at the centre of the first floor is 25 metres high and occupies an area of about 10,000 square feet, making it an excellent venue for functions and exhibitions. The ceiling of the Atrium encompasses a giant canopy design of tinted glass while the floor, inlaid with bronze stars, is engraved with the names of the best-known actors and actresses of the Hong Kong Films Awards throughout the years. The overall atmosphere of the Plaza is reminiscent of Europe in the sixties and is complemented by lampposts and signages specially purchased from the United Kingdom.

Wong Tai Sin Cultural Garden

Wong Tai Sin Cultural Garden (the Garden) was formerly a plant nursery in Morse Park. The plant nursery was then converted into a garden on the theme of Chinese culture by the Wong Tai Sin District Office with funding from the “District Revitalisation Scheme”.

Located in a corner of Morse Park, the Garden faces the streets on three sides. Both inside and outside the Garden, the area is flourishing with flowers and plants. There is also a century-old ancient well. The design of the Garden aims at preserving the ancient well and the original trees. As far as its overall layout is concerned, the western-style Main Square and the Chinese-style Stage at the entrance at Tung Tau Tsuen Road contrast finely with each other. The Tai Chi Square located at the entrance at Tai Tung Street is decorated with the symbols of the Eight Trigrams and the logo of Tai Chi on the ground of the Chess Garden. The two entrances in “square” and “round” shapes respectively are carefully designed to signify the cosmological concept of a dome-like firmament covering the square earth in ancient China. These two scenic spots and a central open area, in the shape of the Chinese character “人” (human beings), denote the spirit of pursuing the unity and the harmony of “sky, earth and human beings” in traditional Chinese culture.

The design of the Garden demonstrates a fine combination of the Chinese and Western styles. While Chinese cultural elements such as the rocks from Taihu (Lake Tai), a century-old ancient well, ancient poetry and calligraphy serve as the main focus of the overall design, the display of Taihu rocks, the restoration of the ancient well and the layout of the calligraphy have adopted western design concepts, enriching the Chinese cultural essence of qin (musical instrument), chess, calligraphy and paintings in the Garden. The layout of pavilions and their functions are based on the design of Chinese-style gardens and architecture whereas minute details of the structures display the architects’ good work of blending western architectural culture with the characteristics of modern construction materials.

Another distinctive feature in the Garden is the provision of ample spaces for visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax their bodies and minds at the same time.