Man Mo Temple

If you have that special wish that is still taking some time to com true try to ask the god of war  Kwan Yu and the god of  literature Man Cheung. You can find them both in their  tiny  and very busy 18th century temple on Hollywood road in Hong kong.

You won’t need a map to find the so called Man Mo Temple: just follow the smell of incense curling from giant cones suspended from the ceiling of this busy  temple and you'll be just fine.

One of the oldest and most famous in Hong Kong, Man Mo (literally ‘civil’ and ‘martial’) is dedicated to these two deities.  Man Cheung is the civil deity ,  a Chinese statesman of the 3rd century BC  , who today is worshipped as the god of literature and is represented holding a writing brush.

The military deity is Kwan Yu (or Kwan Tai), a Han-dynasty soldier born in the 2nd century AD and now venerated as the red-cheeked god of war; he is holding a sword.

Kwan Yu’s popularity in Hong Kong probably has more to do with his additional status as the patron god of restaurants, pawnshops, the police force and secret societies such as the Triads. Outside the main entrance are four gilt plaques on poles that are carried at procession time.Two plaques describe the gods being worshipped inside, while others request silence and respect within the temple grounds and warn menstruating women to keep out of the main hall.

Inside the temple are two 19th-century sedan chairs shaped like houses, which are used to carry the two gods at festival time. The coils suspended from the roof are incense cones burned as offerings by worshippers. Off to the side are fortune-tellers ready and willing to tell you of your (undoubtedly excellent) fate.

One of the best sites to visit in Hong Kong!

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