Built in 1266, the Tin Hau Temple in Joss House Bay, sometimes referred to as Tai Miu ("Great Temple") is the oldest and largest Tin Hau Temple in Hong Kong. It is also said to be the most popular temple of its kind and has been deemed a Grade I historic building. Unlike the temple at Yau Ma Tei, the Joss House Bay temple has not been relocated. It continues to face sea-ward on the southern tail-end the bay.

History

The temple was founded by the Lam family during the Song Dynasty; two brothers from Fujian Province came to live in Kowloon where they made their living shipping salt to the mainland for sale. It is said that one day, they were toppled from their boat by a strong wind. Calling to Tin Hau for help while drowning at sea, they drifted to safety on the beach at Joss House Bay. There, they built a temple to the deity that saved their lives. Years later, when descendants of the two brothers found the temple in disrepair, they rebuilt the site at its current location.

Structure

Festivities

Annually, on Tin Hau's birthday (the 23rd of the third moon on the Chinese calendar), approximately 50,000 people gather to attend celebrations at the temple. Thousands hike via the High Junk Peak Hiking Trail and hundreds of vessels sail into the bay. Many worshippers will also visit the side hall to search under the Dragon Bed's vibrant quilt for articles of lucky portent like lotus seeds, which are believed to bring children to a family, or packets of lucky money, which promise profit in the year to come.