Hong Kong (Temples and Markets)

On Sunday morning I found myself navigating the metro lines across town to visit an LDS Church.  I had intended to "go Buddhist" for a while, but I couldn't resist the call of the familiar.  And familiar it was.  From green hymnals to Utah missionaries, I knew I was in a Mormon church.  (My friend Simon was sceptical that there would be any Chinese members at all, given that "Mormon" as pronounced in Chinese sounds like "Devil's gate" ... who knew.)  Scary sounding name aside, I was immediately greeted by a young Chinese man whose job was to spot (not a particularly challenging task) non-natives and offer them audio phones for an English translation of the service.  The service was nice and I was able to see the Hong Kong Temple which was just down the street.

For lunch we had traditional Dim sum.  It was a fun experience.  Ladies with carts serving a large variety of dumplings and other Chinese favorites from steamer baskets circulated the room while diners picked or passed on each offering.  The food was quite tasty.

The afternoon was spent wandering through some local markets, including an outdoor wet market where shoppers get to answer what's for dinner from the selection of live crabs, lobster, shrimp, turtles, eels and fish on display.  I was fascinated in a Yikes! sort-of-way, to see the large fish that were quartered and displayed (headless) with internal organs in tact, including their beating hearts which didn't stop beating the entire time we stood there.  I wonder how a similar display of "freshness" might go over at a Whole Foods store, speaking of which, we also went to Hong Kong's equivalent.  When I complain about $5 cantaloupes in Texas, I need to remember that I've actually touched a $45 dollar cantaloupe (imported from Japan) in Hong Kong.  I mean, really, it's still just a cantaloupe.

Monday started with a trip outside of Hong Kong to Sha Tin to see the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery.  There are no monks in residence so the site is not really a monastery, but rather a monument to the devotion of its founder, who had intended to establish a Buddhist college in the 1950s.  Situated on a fairly steep hill, you approach the monastery by paths lined with hundreds of gold-colored statues of monks, each remarkably different than the next.

The main temple contains thousands of small carved Buddha statues, each of which has a small light at its base.  The total number of Buddhas on the site is said to be at least 12,800 (I'm not sure if this number includes all of the other statutes.) 

While the approach to the monastery is steep, you are rewarded with great views, a peaceful setting and an endless parade of Buddhas, golden monks, goddesses and generals.

Next stop was the Wong Tai Sin Temple.  Unlike 10,000 Buddhas which is outside of the city proper, the Wong Tai Sin Temple is in the heart of Hong Kong.  This Taoist temple (one of the largest temples in Hong Kong) has beautiful architecture and pleasant gardens ... 

... but is most famous for the many wishes that are granted there through a practice called Kau Cim which employs fortune sticks.  Worshipers seeking answers to their deepest questions kneel down in front of the temple and, after lighting incense, shake a bamboo cylinder full of numbered wooden sticks while praying until one or more sticks leap from the container.  These are interpreted by fortune readers on the temple grounds.
 

As I watched the process, I was tickled by the complexity and diversity of human experience.  And while I didn't shake any fortune sticks, I did try to walk away with some good luck by rubbing the claws and snout of this guy who sits at the entrance to the Temple.

The afternoon was spent wandering the back streets of the Kowloon section of Hong Kong.  I explored flower markets, bird markets, common street markets (think Sham Wow) and the touristy night markets.  I also had a delicious Chinese waffle made to order by a very pleasant (and busy) Ying

HOW TO ARRIVE ALIVE

Hold the handrail and stand still!

You can make it a safe journey.

(Warning signs posted at the head of many metro escalators)