Yuk Hui Temple

The temple is listed as a Grade I historic building. It is most famous for the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which is a Taoist ceremony held annually on Cheung Chau island. The festival takes place on the 8th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, which occurs usually in April or May. The festival lasts for seven days. It attracts many tourists and Pak Tai worshipers. == History ==

The first settlers in Cheung Chau were fishermen from Huizhou, Guangzhou and Chaozhou. They worshiped the Taoist Sea God, Pak Tai, as their patron deity. In 1777, there was a severe outbreak of plague in Cheung Chau. It is said that when a Huizhounese brought a statue of Pak Tai to the island the pestilence miraculously disappeared. In gratitude for Pak Tai's blessing, the residents, led by Mr. Lam Yuk-mo, built Yuk Hui Temple, which was completed in 1783. Another story states that the statue was discovered by a fisherman, instead of being brought to the island by the Huizhouese. ==Administration==

In its early days, the temple was voluntarily managed and renovated by local residents. Then in 1929, the Chinese Temples Committee began to administer the temple. There have been several major renovations over the centuries, notably in 1822, 1838, 1858, 1903–1904, and 1989. The latest one was started in 1999 and finished in 2003, which cost (HKD)$13 million. Since its establishment, a range of antiques from the local community have been donated to the temple. Yuk Hui Temple is administered by the Chinese Temples Committee. == Deities ==

The main deity of Yuk Hui Temple is Pak Tai, alternatively known as Yuen Tin Sheung Tai (), the Supreme Emperor of the Northern Heaven or the Mysterious Heaven. In Taoist mythology, he was once a prince of the Shang dynasty, and then appointed by Jade Emperor to fight the Demon King during the fall of the dynasty. He triumphed in the combat even though the Demon King conjured out a grey tortoise and a gigantic serpent for help. After this victory, Pak Tai was awarded the title of Yuen Tin Sheung Tai and is worshipped for his power, courage and devotion. The portrays of the tortoise and the snake under his feet symbolize that the good always prevails against the evil The temple also houses Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), Tai Sui (the Sixty Gods of Time), The old man under the moon (the God of Matchmaking) and Tu Di Gong (a local earth god). Local residents and the fishing folks around the waters of the island are the major worshippers of the temple. Islanders would come to the temple during various festivals to pray for blessing or to present their gratitude, especially fishermen. They would come to invoke for an auspicious date and a great catch before setting sail and to thank for Pak Tai's blessing after their return. The two busiest times of the temple during the year are: • the Pak Tai Festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd Lunar Month; • the Bun Festival- commonly known as the Tai Ping Ching Chiu, the 8th day in the 4th Lunar Month. == Cultural and historical relics ==

Iron sword The iron sword is reputed to be the most significant treasure in Yuk Hui Temple. It was made in the Song dynasty about 800 years ago. Allegedly, it was thrown into the sea by a general at the time of Emperor Bing of Song to calm a great storm. Years later it was dredged up by the local fisherman and presented to the deity. There are two legends about the iron sword's whereabouts worth mentioning: The first recounts that during the Japanese occupation, a Japanese soldier took away the sword and accounted it as his own. He soon died mysteriously. One of the soldier's friends was afraid that taking the sword was the reason for this, so he decided to return it to the temple. A newspaper cutting covering this incident is now reserved in the temple. ). Other antiques Other antiques include: • A wooden sedan chair made in 1894, which was used to carry the image of the Pak Tai; == Architecture ==

sculptures outside the temple. The building of the grand temple takes into account the spiritual location or 'Feng Shui'. Figures of stone lions can be found all around the architecture and this temple has the most stone lions (4) among Hong Kong temples. Structure The primary entrance leads to the main hall, which holds the Pak Tai statue. There are two smaller halls on each side of the main hall. The images of a white tiger and a blue dragon in the left-side hall and the right-side hall respectively represent power. The two side halls help to improve the temple's 'Feng Shui'. An ancient drum and bell can be seen on the left of the temple's entrance to drive away evil spirits and to attract the attention of the gods. It is believed that the writings surrounding the bell area will be heard by the gods in heaven. Stone lions At the main entrance, there are four lively stone sculptures of lions playing a ball game. Two of the lions have balls in their mouths and it is said that unmarried girls who can remove the balls will eventually marry a prince. The two lions on the left side of the entrance are lionesses with a small cub beneath their paws, while those on the right are males with a ball beneath their feet. It is believed that milk is contained in the ball for humans to drink. The stone pillars In the centre of the hall are two stone pillars carved from a solid piece of granite in the shape of dragons. They are imperial dragons as they have five claws on each foot while ordinary ones have only four. A ball can be seen in the dragon's mouth which is known as 'The Pearl of the Dragon'. According to Chinese culture, it is believed to be a sign of good luck if the dragon releases the ball. There are some square stone pillars which carries the message that can be translated as: 'Pi tai will look after Cheung Chau and will bring calm seas and good weather'. == Cheung Chau Bun Festival ==

. Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a traditional Taoist festival that takes place in and around the Yuk Hui Temple on Cheung Chau It is staged every year (usually in late April or early May) to mark the eighth day of the fourth moon in the Chinese calendar. The event draws tens of thousands of tourists from overseas and local areas and is promoted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The name of the festival comes from its main attraction; the 'bun snatching race' where brave individuals climb up 'Bun Mountains' or 'Bun Towers' and strip them down of buns. ==Gallery==

File:北帝廟籃球場.jpg|The playground in front of the temple where the annual bun snatching competition is held File:templefront.JPG|A front view of the temple File:HK Cheung Chau Pak Tei Temple n Basketball Court n Blue Sky 2.JPG|Overall view of the temple File:Bun festval construction.jpg|Construction of a pavilion for the Cheung Chau Bun Festival File:HK Cheung Chau Pak Tei Temple n Stairs 1.JPG|The temple in 2008 File:Cheung Chau location map.svg|Location of Cheung Chau ==See also==