When Buddhism came to Hong Kong
When Buddhism came to Hong Kong
The Tsing Shan Monastery sits on the pleasantly wooded lower slopes of Castle Peak at about 160 metres above sea level. According to legend an Indian monk named Pui To stayed in a cave here for meditation sometime during the fifth century.
At that time there was a military outpost here but seeing that the soldiers had no other spiritual guidance Pui To decided to stay on and teach. When he grew old he returned to India but the cave in which he is said to have lived was worshipped by a nun who went on to establish a nunnery. In 1829 a Taoist temple named Tsing Wan Kwun was built on the site but around 1910 it was redeveloped by a Buddhist practitioner named Chan Chun-ting.
Chan bought the adjoining land and over the course of the next ten years built the monastery. Chan himself became Zen Master Hin Ki in 1914 and the monastery, thanks to the dedication of Pui To, became recognised as the birthplace of Buddhism in Hong Kong.
The monastery complex is on three levels with the main entrance just beyond a flight of steps. The first building is the bright yellow guest hall with an attractive veranda between the two side bays above the main entrance.
Altar dedicated to Doumu (left) and the courtyard filled with incense coils
Directly behind this is the hall of merit with the ancestral tablets of past abbots including that of Master Hin Ki. The entrance is decorated with plaster mouldings of elephants above and vases holding lotus flowers with couplets on either side.
The main hall is on a terrace which is reached by a flight of steps next to the entrance to the hall of merit. It is brickwork with reinforced concrete columns inside and brick columns on the veranda but the roof features timber rafters and purlins topped with ceramic tiles. The roof ridge is decorated with ceramic dragons and figurines. The altar enshrines three statues of Amitabha, Sakyamuni and Bhaisajyagura Buddhas.
Just beyond the main hall are two breathtakingly ornate shrines. The first is a two-hall structure dedicated to Doumu, Mother of the Great Chariot, the asterism which is known as the Plough or Big Dipper in the west. The seven stars of the formation along with two which are not visible to the naked eye are her sons. Doumu occupies an exquisitely carved altar in the rear hall, with embroidered silk and lanterns hanging from above, looking out to a courtyard filled with incense coils.
The next shrine, dedicated to the goddess of mercy is arguably even more beautiful (main pic). The carved altar of blackened wood with gold inscriptions houses the multi-armed Kwun Yum, or Guanyin as she is know outside of Hong Kong. The deep yellow background is punctuated with two ruby red lotus shaped lamps either side of the image. Offerings of pomelo are arranged in front while there is a vase of lilies to the left and lucky bamboo, a plant specifically associated with the goddess.
The entrace to Pui To’s cave is now a shrine
The cave where Pui To is said to have lived (main picture) and the remains of the old nunnery are up a level. A flight of steps to the left of the guest hall leads up to a pretty garden area with a yellow arch. The cave, with its shrine to Pui To, is at the end. It is not possible to enter the cave but there is a small shrine at the entrance.
This is also the place where Bruce Lee chose to shoot some of the opening sequences for the movie Enter the Dragon. The cut-out figures and information board lack the mystique of their surroundings but it is a small transgression in an otherwise enthralling site.
To this day the local name for the mountain is Pui To Shan and the monk also has a road and an LRT station named after him.
Related: The Ping Shan Heritage Trail, Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong’s New Territories
The New Territories represents around 85% of Hong Kong’s total land area. It is an area of coastal wetlands and mountains boasting a history of more than a thousand years. There are many ancient monuments, well-maintained hiking trails and outlying islands with old fishing communities. Yet to most visitors, it remains largely unknown.
I spent the Covid years researching, writing and photographing it. Exploring Hong Kong’s New Territories is 332 pages with around 400 colour photographs plus maps and directions. More information here