| Man Mo temples in Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||
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_(32748033042).jpg) Entrance of Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 文武廟 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 文武庙 | ||||||||||||||
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AMan Mo temple, orMan Mo Miu, is a temple dedicated to theChinese folk god of literature, Man Tai (文帝), orMan Cheong (文昌), and the martial god Mo Tai (武帝), orKwan Tai (關帝). The two deities were commonly patronized by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in thecivil examinations in theMing andQing dynasties.[1] There are several Man Mo temples in Hong Kong, the best-known of which is the one in Sheung Wan.
The largest Man Mo temple in Hong Kong is at 124–126Hollywood Road, in Sheung Wan,[2] built in 1847.[1] It is part of a complex that comprises three adjacent blocks: Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple (No. 128 Hollywood Road),[3] and Kung So.
The Man Mo Temple, the main building of the complex, is dedicated to the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Kwan Tai. Lit Shing Kung (列聖宫) is for the worship of all heavenly gods. Kung So (公所), to its west, was an assembly hall where community affairs and disputes were settled.[4]
In 1908, the temple was officially entrusted to the Tung Wah Board of Directors.[4] The temple has since been managed by theTung Wah Group of Hospitals.[3] It was graded as aGrade I historic building in 1993, and it is now adeclared monument.[5]
The Man Mo Temple on Fu Shin Street (富善街),Tai Po, was built in 1893,[6] to mark the founding ofTai Wo Shi (Tai Wo Market Town, now commonly known asTai Po Market). It has been listed as a declared monument.[7]
The Man Mo temple atPak Ngan Heung (白銀鄉), in Mui Wo, Lantau Island,[8] underwent a major renovation in 1960 and was rebuilt in 2001.[9]
22°17′02″N114°09′01″E / 22.283982°N 114.150239°E /22.283982; 114.150239