Che Kung Temple – Ho Chung

Che Kung Temples (CN: 車公廟) are dedicated to Che Kung, who was a general during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) in ancient China. He is believed by some worshipers to have been involved in the attempt to keep the Song state alive by bringing Prince Ping and his brother to the South.

There are two temples dedicated to Che Kung in Hong Kong: one in Sha Tin and one in Ho Chung.

Che Kung Temple in Ho Chung

Situated on the banks of the Ho Chung River, and half a mile from Ho Chung Village in Sai Kung District, the temple is one of the oldest in Hong Kong and worship General Che, his son and his grandson. Initially built in the mid-16th century, the temple predates its popular counterpart near Tai Wai in Sha Tin District, which is said to worship the grandson of General Che. The present temple structure probably dates largely from 1878, while the temple furniture probably dates from the Xianfeng era (1850–1861).

It is great place to be for Chinese New Year, as the spirit of Che Kung is celebrated alongside memories of family members that have passed to the next life.

Other deities worshipped at the temple include Hung Shing, Tin Hau and Choi Pak Shing Kun (財帛星君).

Run by villagers for over 300 years, the temple is now being kept by Wan Sai Cheung of the Wan family[citation needed] who have been residents in Ho Chung village for many generations. While the temple has been renovated several times, it is considered that “the authenticity [of the building] is in general kept”. Known renovation dates include 1908, 1994 and 2002, while other sources also mention 1934 and 2000. It was listed as a Grade II historic building in 1996, and as a Grade I historic building in 2009

Festivals

There are four annual Che Kung Festivals (車公誕):

• 2nd day of the first lunar month, the most popular, is Che Kung’s birthday. People come to the temple to worship Che Kung, turn fan-bladed wheels of fortune and beat the drum to ensure good luck in the coming year. About 100,000 people visit the Tai Wai Temple at this time of the year. Crowd management and traffic arrangements are implemented each year during the festival.
• 27th day of the third lunar month
• 6th day of the sixth lunar month
• 16th day of the eighth lunar month

Birthday of Che Kung

Che Kung festival or the Birthday of Che Kung is the day when people celebrate the birth of Che Kung. On this day, people, especially Hongkongers, would like to go to Che Kung Temple and worship Che Kung. Che Kung was a military commander in Southern Song dynasty. He protected the Emperor Bing of Song to escape Mongol invaders and considered as loyalty to the emperors.

The real birthday of Che Kung is 2 January in the Chinese lunar calendar. Nevertheless, people prefer the next day to celebrate his birthday.

Source: Wikipedia

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