Important Hong Kong gods and old deities of myths
Good fortune abound due to thousands of abandoned Hong Kong gods and deities statues
A Second Home for abandoned Hong Kong gods & deities
A place for abandoned Hong Kong gods and deities
The bus route ended in Wah Fu Estate, our destination for the day – the abandoned place of old Hong Kong gods and deity statues.
Surrounding us, residential buildings are dressed in faded pastel colours. Developed in 1967, the estate was one of Hong Kong’s most ambitious public housing projects.
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A city in and of itself, Wah Fu Estate is perched on the edge of a cliff above choppy water. With the sea on one side and tall mountains on the other, the area is renowned for its excellent Feng Shui.
Rumours abound of the good fortune of the area’s residents. This bountiful luck could also be due to the community’s care and consideration of thousands of abandoned statues of deities.
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Past barbeque pits, a lively playground and benches looking out to sea, thousands of deity statues and Hong Kong gods can be found at the foot of Waterfall Bay Park.
Located at the southern part of the Wah Fu district, all of the statues look out to sea. The local area, particularly Aberdeen, has been home to fishermen for hundreds of years.
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In its earliest history, the freshwater provided by Waterfall Bay is said to have given Hong Kong its name (directly translating to ‘fragrant harbour’ in Chinese).
The staircase leading down towards the shrine
Barges and fishing junks dotted the waters. This potable water drew British and European sailors, enroute to other Asian ports, to Hong Kong.
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While written records of the waterfall are rare, the area was well known to local pirates and European sailors, who would stop in Hong Kong to refill their freshwater supply.
Taoist Sea goddess Tin Hau kept seafarers safe
The economic prosperity and bustling activity brought on by the waterfall required the guidance of higher powers. Here, the Taoist Sea goddess Tin Hau would have dominated local temples and personal shrines to keep seafarers safe.
Today, Tin Hau is one of many major deities that keep watch over the great freight ships traveling in and out of Hong Kong.
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The low hillside shrouds these deities under heavy tree and bamboo canopies. Through this extensive cast, many famous faces appear multiple times.
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A confluence of Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian figures, the shrine at the foot of Waterfall Bay Park is a fair representation of Southern Chinese folk religions.
Commonly practiced in Hong Kong, these religions venerate ancestry and the rational balance between humans and nature.
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From war heroes to merciful characters, personifications of happiness to symbolic ornaments, the “Sky Full of abandoned Hong Kong gods and deities” has it all.
Guan Yu is with his fierce red face is the slayer of demons
Known as the god of honour and slayer of demons, Guan Yu is easily spotted with his fierce red face and warrior’s sword. Guan Yu began as a military general during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Guan Yu with his fierce red face
A loyal follower of the warlord Liu Bei, Guan Yu is a unique deity that is worshipped in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. In 219 AD, Guan Yu was captured in an enemy ambush and executed.
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The early years of people worshipping him contrasts with the reverence he is paid now. In the beginning, people paid tribute to him out of fear, worrying that not doing so would result in the military general transforming into a demon and causing harm.
It wasn’t until the Sui dynasty (581 – 618 AD) that this vision changed to a more altruistic one, and Guan Yu was deified.
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As a mighty warrior, Guan Yu protects his followers from ill fortune. Honoured as one of the “Saints of War”, he reflects the ability to use war in a positive way.
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Understandably, even advantageous warfare is disagreeable to some, who prefer to practice peace making and mercy. Here we turn to Guanyin.
Guanyin is also known as the Goddess of Mercy
Predominantly a Buddhist figure, Guanyin is also known as the Goddess of Mercy. Sitting cross-legged on a lotus leaf, she is dressed in white robes. As a bodhisattva (a person on the path towards Buddhism), she is said to be the embodiment of compassion, on a mission to cure the sick, protect the vulnerable and tamp out world suffering.
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Her task is to apply her benevolence to granting the requests of all those praying for good health and guidance.
The great monkey king, Sun Wukong, and the Laughing Buddha in the front
In the famous Chinese Fable “Journey to the West”, Guanyin is a guiding force for the motley crew’s pilgrimage and an entity whose power surpasses the great monkey king, Sun Wukong. Chinese Buddhists view her as a source of unconditional love and a saviour to all that seek her out.
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While Guanyin represents love and protection in the present, the Laughing Buddha is the embodiment of the future. Bearing a cheery grin, dozens of Laughing Buddhas greeted us at each level.
Peaches are shown with a variety of deities, symbolizing wealth, health, abundance and longevity
Also known as Budai, his joyful features and rotund belly are physical symbols of the happiness and contentment he represents.
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According to legend, the Buddhist monk that Budai was based on lived around 900 AD. Predicting weather patterns and people’s fortunes, this wandering monk’s body supposedly held mystical powers, as he was impervious to the cold of snow and rain.
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Holding little in terms of material possessions, the Laughing Buddha attains fulfilment through the soul and thus attains enlightenment.
Many common motifs pop up throughout the shrine of abandoned deities. Peaches are shown with a variety of deities. Symbolizing wealth, health, abundance and longevity, the romantic nature of peaches is shown through the Chinese term “peach blossom luck”, relating to one’s “love luck”.
Round shape represents heaven and the square symbolizes earth
Round gold coins with square holes in the middle are clear stand-ins for wealth and prosperity. The round shape represents heaven, and the square shape symbolizes earth. These reflect the shape of traditional Chinese coins and are used in Feng Shui as common money cures.
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As the prince of all feathery creatures, cranes are the symbols of happiness and eternal youth and are often found perched underneath or beside deities.
For those in want of wealth, prosperity and luck, Fortune Cats are found among the clusters of gods. A popular lucky charm in both Japanese and Chinese cultures, the cat appears on the hillside in both white and gold.
Fortune Cats a popular lucky charm in both Japanese and Chinese cultures
White cats bring happiness, while gold cats invite wealth and prosperity. A cute figure in Feng Shui, the cat typically has its right paw raised, which is believed to bring good fortune. If its left paw is raised, this will bring patronage.
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Both paws raised means it will bring protection to your home or business. Traditionally, the cat is holding a gold coin with its lowered paw. It can also be seen with golden bells or red decorations.
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One man looks after all these thousands of statues. That man is local octogenarian, Wong Wing-pong. A slender man with thin, greying hair, Wong first came upon the hilly site in the late nineties. Back then, a dozen statues filled the space.
Over the next two decades, the retired butcher regularly added to the collection and has taken care of the site, a practice he continues to this day. Visiting the statues twice daily, Wong sweeps the pathways and burns incense sticks as offerings.
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When he adds in new statues, he fixes them if needed and settles them in the hillside shrine. Most of the figures have been cemented in place.
In Hong Kong, it’s against the belief of most residents to dispose of a deity statue, even if it’s broken. In choosing to develop and maintain this shrine, Wong has made the biggest shrine dedicated to a pantheon of deities.
It is against the belief of most residents to dispose of a deity statue, even if it’s broken
Known locally as “a sky full of gods and Buddhas”, nowadays it is so well known that Wong no longer needs to scavenge for statues, as people bring them directly to him. New statues arrive every month from several sources, such as restaurants undergoing renovation and private homes.
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In 2016, Wong said to the media “No one should demean god. If they are out here, we should treat them well. If they are broken, I will glue them back together… I don’t dare throw them away. It goes against the conscience.”
The physical blending of these different deities reflects how, by the Song dynasty (960 – 1279 AD), the boundaries had blurred between the practices of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in the region.
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Wong appreciates the inclusive nature of the Waterfall Bay Park shrine, believing that it makes it easier for people to come and see all at once the many deities they worship.
The sunset from Waterfall Bay Park
Many of the statues once belonged to someone who has since passed. All are welcome to come and worship. Of the three common types of offerings, incense sticks are used here.
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They are thought to have a cleansing effect, as well as being able to purify one’s surroundings. Past the statues currently residing at the shrine, spaces have been cleared amongst the trees in anticipation of future additions.
Wong solemnly declared once, “I will come here until I can’t walk…I don’t care which religion they belong to. I will look after all of them.”
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In his quiet dedication, Wong has created a space of beauty and worship that is a treasure for the local community.
Text & Photos Victoria Mae Martyn
