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WONG TAI SIN TEMPLEWorth A FortuneBy Toni DabbsIt sounded dark and mysterious, so I resolved to seek it out before I left Hong Kong. I had heard only cryptic references to “the fortune tellers’ temple.” When I asked about this at the Hong Kong Tourist Association information desk in the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry terminal, I was told: “It’s Wong Tai Sin – but tourists don’t usually go there.”
I disembarked and followed the crowd up the stairs and through a gate – where I stopped, astounded by the scene before me. There was no small, aging edifice, as I had imagined. Instead, there was a large complex of elaborately decorated buildings set among garden with fountains. I wondered if I had come to the wrong place. Fascinated nonetheless, I continued to follow the people bearing offerings as they headed to the largest structure in the complex.
On the central altar stood a painting of a man. This, I was informed, was WongTai Sin himself. According to legend, when Wong Tai Sin was a 15-year-old shepherd boy, he was taught by an immortal how to refine cinnabar to produce a medicine capable of curing all illnesses. He spent 40 years in seclusion perfecting this technique, them emerged to achieve fame as a healer. Today, he is revered by Taoists concerned not only about their physical health but also the health of their relationships and businesses. At one side of the temple, I noticed rows of canisters made from hollow bamboo segments. I knew these contained chim, or fortune sticks. Looking back at the kneeling worshipers, I realized several were rhythmically shaking such canisters until a single stick vibrated clear of the others and fell to the ground. The Chinese numeral on that stick would correspond to a printed message from a complete set of the chim interpretations in the custody of the temple keeper. Having seen chim widely used in other Hong Kong temples, I didn’t think its practice alone could be responsible for giving Wong Tai Sin its reputation as “the fortune tellers’ temple.” As several chim shakers moved from the colorful main temple to a drab concrete building nearby, I followed along. Suddenly, I understood. The long, narrow, windowless, multi-level building was an arcade of sorts. Aisles along both sides of each floor were lined with uniformly sized cubicles, each about the size of a closet – and each occupied by a fortune teller. I counted 142! Many were actively engaged. Others offered their services by beckoning or calling to passers by, while still others sat placidly awaiting their next clients. A few stalls posted signs proclaiming “air conditioning” or “English spoken.” There were fortune tellers who specialized in diving the hidden meanings of messages received from the chim, I ching (a similar system using coins) and pui (a system whereby a wooden clam reveals a “yes” or “no” answer to the thrower’s question, depending on how its two half-shells fall). There were fortune tellers who read palms and faces. There were fortune tellers who consulted astrological charts and tong sing ( a yearly almanac that identifies auspicious days for special activities). There were even some experts of fung shui (the science of balancing natural and man made things). I learned that the arcade is busiest around Chinese New Year, when people queue for the services of their favorite advisors. At other times, clients might ask the soothsayers’ advice about when to hold a wedding, where to open a business, or what to name a baby. While I no longer had any doubt that Wong Tai Sin was “the fortune tellers’ temple” that I sought, I soon saw that it has much more to offer, as I began exploring the rest of the complex.
Because the complex doubles as a community center, it also has a meeting hall for social functions and a clinic, where both Chinese herbal medicine and Western medicine are practiced.
The Wong Tai Sin Temple complex is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The garden is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to both is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information: Hong
Kong Tourist Association Photos by Toni Dabbs |
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TM
I
was determined, though. I located the Wong Tai Sin station on my MTR (Mass
Transit Railway) map and boarded the train. By the time it reached my stop, the
subway had filled with people carrying bundles of joss sticks, bags of oranges,
and roasted suckling pigs in glistening red cellophane. 
This
was the main temple, resplendent with carved and brightly painted friezes
beneath a golden tiled roof supported by red columns. Its forecourt already was
crowded with kneeling worshipers, their offering spread before them, but the
newcomers stepped deftly through, managing to find their own spaces in which to
pray. 
Smaller structures on site include: a hexagonal Bronze
Pavilion, serving as the resting place for Wong Tai Sin; the Library Hall,
containing the teachings of Wong Tai Sin; a Memorial Hall, housing the spirit
tablets of deceased members of the Sik Sik Yuen, a Taoist charitable
organization; and the Three Saints Hall, dedicated to goddess of mercy Kwun
Yum, martial god Kwan Ti and immortal Lui Tung Bun. The octagonal Confucian
Hall pays tribute to the ancient philosopher and his 72 disciples, while the
Yue Heung Shrine extols the teachings of Buddha.
Also on the grounds is the Good Wish Garden, a replica of
the Yi He Garden in Beijing. Attractively landscaped, it features several small
traditionally styled pavilions set alongside a stream, waterfall and ponds.