Temple?

Mon, 09/22/2014 - 21:01

  Can someone please enlighten me as to which temple this is. the photo was taken in July 1972

Date picture taken
1 Jul 1972
Shows place(s)

Comments

Hi there,

Actually Man Mo Temple is the one by the left.  If you zoom in on both photos you should be able to see the big sign advertising the location are different.  In the older photo it show 觀音 (Kwan Yin, in Putonghua, Kwun Yam, in Cantonese) (should be 觀音佛堂, Kwan Yin Fo Tang) with the other words obscured by the gateway and yet the newer photo showed 列聖官.  In Traditional setup the Chinese words went from right to left.

I did a little bit digging in Google and found a little piece in Chinese describing this group of buildings.  I will attempt to translate.

There is a third building by the right.  It has an engraving above the main entrace which read 公所﹐  A 公所 is some sort of a public civil office of the local village officials and elders. 

Before the middle building became a Buddist shrine, it had been the station of local equivalent of civilian police/security for the village.  The Kwan Yin Fo Tang was a more recent development if you compare with the Possession as the group of buildings pre-dated it.  After the British took the Island it remained the station for local securities until the Police force was established and the local securities were disbanded.

As for the open space between the wall and the buildings, traditionally these places were being use for village assemblies where elders and the officials discuss matters.

Apparently after it's refurbishment the Kwan Yin Fo Tang became 列聖宮, which hosts various local or mythological dieties.

My 2 cents,

T