1958 4 8 kun yam temple

Wed, 06/15/2022 - 09:32

News report reads like this:
Yesterday was Chinese Calendar Feb 19 - the birthday of Kun Yum (1958-4-7), Kun Yum temples all over Hong Kong were crowded with worshippers.The most crowded was the one in Hunghom. In the past 50 years locals celebrated the occasion with opera performances. People everywhere came to pay their tributes to the goddesss. Yesterday the weather was nice. The crowd was larger than last year. The Hunghom police superintendent came with his police force to maintain order. From morning to noon, the place was crowded.
All Hunghom 3-district neighbourhood association committee members, led by chairman mr. Wu, went to the temple to pay tribute according to ancient tradition. There were roast pigs, red buns, 3 kinds of meat. They burned incense and bowed to the goddess in a solumn ceremony. Many locals also joined in. They returned to the association afterwards.
Two temporary structures were erected in front of the Kun Yum temple. One is the Sanqingdian (三清殿). The other is a performance stage (right side in picture). At entrance of temple was another structure with a "big head ghost eater" made of paper. It is 20 feet tall and looking fierce. On both sides of the street were coloured lamps. Inside the temple was full of smoke. It was newly redecorated. Even the goddess herself had some new clothes. It was the result of donations from pious worshippers.
  Yesterday was the busiest and also the best day for the temple attendant. Every worshipper of course bought a lot of incense. When they brought in a roast pig or other meat, they have to make a substantial donation. It is estimated there were more than ten thousand worshippers entering the temple. The income must be quite  substantial.
The neighbourhood association also built a stage in the Wuhu children playground. There were performances by the "new bright sun" (新艶陽) troupe led by Xinma Shizeng (新馬師曾), Fang Yanfen (芳艷芬). Every performance was sold out. Yesterday there were one daytime and one evening performance sponsored by the hunghom neighborhood association. Members of other neighbourhood associations, senior government officials were invited to attend. Today and tomorrow evening performances will be for raising funds for building a maternity clinic. The association chairman mr. Wu told reporters the fund raising is doing well. They sold a lot of tickets. In order  to serve the urgent needs of poor pregnant women, the association will start the construction of the free clinic after the performances. He hope more people will help out.

Date picture taken
1958
Author(s)