Chinese Temples Committee

Tam Kung Temple, Shau Kei Wan

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The Temple is one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong which worship Tam Kung as the main deity.

Origin of the Temple

Shau Kei Wan was a fishing village and also the site for a quarry in the old days. People from Huizhou (惠州) who worked nearby brought their beliefs in Tam Kung to Hong Kong and built the Temple in 1905.

Tam Kung - Sea God Lord Tam (譚公)

Tam Kung was originally a native of Huizhou (惠州) in Guangdong Province (廣東省) during Yuan Dynasty (元朝). He is usually portrayed as being young and having a fresh face. When he was 13 years old, he had already possessed supernatural powers to command the wind and rain, cure sickness, and forecast weather. His ability made him a popular deity. In the past, stonecutters from Huizhou came to Hong Kong and brought their belief in Tam Kung from hometown.

Architectural Setting

The temple has a good Fung Shui orientation. Its original setting in the old days was facing the sea and back by the hill. Some Fung Shui Master claimed that it is rested on the pulse of the dargon (the geomantic vitality). The layout of the temple is a typical Chinese two-hall vernacular building.

Historical & Cultural Relics

It was said that the boulder in front of the temple was the seal of Tam Kung. It was laid there about a hundred years. An old bell, an altar and a stone tablet that date back to the Ching Dynasty are also kept in the temple.

Other Deities

Apart from the main deity of Tam Kung, the temple also houses Kwan Tai (God of War), Man Cheong (God of Literature), Kwun Yum (Goddess of Mercy), Tin Hau (Goddess of Sea), Wong Tai Sin, Wah Kwong (God of Fire), Lung Mo Leung Leung (Dragon Mother), Ng Tung Gods (Gods of Five Lucks) and Gum Fa Leung Leung (Patron of Pregnant Women).

Tin Hau Festival

Tam Kung Festival falls on the 8th April in Lunar Calendar. Chinese opera and street parade take place in Shau Kei Wan with over thousands of visitors join the event every year.

Renovations

The old temple underwent major renovations in 1908, 1944, 1954 and 1987. In 2002, the Chinese Temples Committee reconstructed the present temple with the original design carefully preserved.