Wong Tai Sin
Encyclopedia
Wong Tai Sin is a Chinese
deity
popular in Hong Kong
with the power of healing. His name literally translates to the "Great Immortal
Wong". Wong Tai Sin is the divine form of the individual "Wong Cho Ping".
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 under the name 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
. Western sources have him listed at (c. 284-364 CE).
Wong Cho Ping experienced poverty and hunger, and decided to become a shepherd
boy when he was eight. He began practicing Taoism
at fifteen. Forty years later, he was said to have been able to transform stone
s into sheep under the cultivation of the religious philosophy. He is also known as Immortal Chisong (赤松仙子), named after his hermit mountain. His birthday is on August 23 of the lunar calendar
.
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
in his apartment. Later he opened an 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 said that he 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).
mostly served as the divine religious symbol, often stretching the mandate of heaven
into religious terms. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty
, a replacement faith symbol was needed. Leung Renyan arrived in Hong Kong in 1915 with a portrait of the Taoist god. Because his timing of reviving the figure into modern society was so exceptional, one can debate whether the success of Wong Tai Sin Temple
is beyond pure coincidence.
area and Wong Tai Sin
districts are named after the deity's influence. Today, Sik Sik Yuen is an educational and charitable foundation that, true to Leung's origins as a healer, runs a free clinic.
In Hong Kong, there is one MTR station named after Wong Tai Sin and there is a Wong Tai sin Temple. Many tourists from all over the world visit Wong Tai Sin temple every day.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
popular in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with the power of healing. His name literally translates to the "Great Immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
Wong". Wong Tai Sin is the divine form of the individual "Wong Cho Ping".
Legend
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000-m² Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim...
, in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Wong Tai Sin was born under the name Wong Cho Ping (黃初平 Huang Chuping) in 338 in today's Lanxi City
Lanxi
Lanxi may refer to the following locations in China:*Lanxi, Zhejiang , county-level city of Jinhua, Zhejiang*Lanxi County , of Suihua, Heilongjiang**Lanxi Town , town in and county seat of Lanxi County...
, Jinhua County
Jinhua
Jinhua is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou to the east, and Shaoxing to the northeast....
(金華縣蘭溪市), Zhejiang Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Western sources have him listed at (c. 284-364 CE).
Wong Cho Ping experienced poverty and hunger, and decided to become a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
boy when he was eight. He began practicing Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
at fifteen. Forty years later, he was said to have been able to transform stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s into sheep under the cultivation of the religious philosophy. He is also known as Immortal Chisong (赤松仙子), named after his hermit mountain. His birthday is on August 23 of the lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
.
Establishment
In the early 20th century, Leung Renyan (梁仁庵) spread the influence of Wong Tai Sin from Qiaoshan (樵山), GuangxiGuangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
province of China to Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
, in Hong Kong.
Leung arrived in Hong Kong in 1915. He rented an apartment in Wan Chai, and set up an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
in his apartment. Later he opened an 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 said that he 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
Chuk Yuen
Chuk Yuen or Chuk Un was a village and an area in New Kowloon of Hong Kong. The area is approximately present-day Wong Tai Sin. The name now also refers to two public housing estates, Chuk Yuen North and Chuk Yuen South Estates....
village, which was the right distance from the Kowloon City
Kowloon City
Kowloon City is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is named after the Kowloon Walled City, and is administratively part of Kowloon City District....
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).
Transition
The revival of Wong Cho Ping into Wong Tai Sin only happened at the end of the 19th century. Prior to 1911, the dynastic emperorEmperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
mostly served as the divine religious symbol, often stretching the mandate of heaven
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. It is similar to the European concept of the divine right of kings, in that both sought to legitimaze rule from divine approval; however, unlike the divine right of kings, the Mandate of...
into religious terms. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, a replacement faith symbol was needed. Leung Renyan arrived in Hong Kong in 1915 with a portrait of the Taoist god. Because his timing of reviving the figure into modern society was so exceptional, one can debate whether the success of Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000-m² Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim...
is beyond pure coincidence.
Influence
The Wong Tai SinWong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
Wong Tai Sin 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...
area and Wong Tai Sin
Wong Tai Sin District
Wong Tai Sin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, and is the only landlocked district of the city. It is located in Kowloon and has a population of 444,630...
districts are named after the deity's influence. Today, Sik Sik Yuen is an educational and charitable foundation that, true to Leung's origins as a healer, runs a free clinic.
In Hong Kong, there is one MTR station named after Wong Tai Sin and there is a Wong Tai sin Temple. Many tourists from all over the world visit Wong Tai Sin temple every day.