The temple that serves all

A Taoist temple with 150 years of history was declared a statutory monument as it is an important historical landmark of Wan Chai.

In a blog post yesterday, Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun said the Yuk Hui Temple was built by local residents of Wan Chai for the worship of Pak Tai, a deity associated with the stars of the north and the sea.

In order to honor the Taoist god Pak Tai, it was also used as a venue for public affairs and a place to provide education for the neighborhood, according to Wong.

The government listed the Yuk Hui Temple as a legal monument in October last year, along with a rock carving at Cape Collinson in Eastern District and the Hau Mei Fung Ancestral Hall in Sheung Shui.

Although the temple has undergone maintenance and repair work multiple times, the original layout and main elements were well preserved.

Ng Chi-wo, a historical buildings curator at the Antiquities and Monuments Office, said: "The main building of the Yuk Hui Temple has a long history. The construction began in 1862, which is more than 150 years ago."

A 400-year-old Ming dynasty bronze statue of Pak Tai is enshrined in the temple's incense pavilion. It bears an inscription on its robe hem that marked the thirty-first year of the Wanli reign during the Ming dynasty.

"The Yuk Hui Temple is a temple with high cultural value for Hong Kong, and it is also the largest temple to worship Pak Tai in the city," Ng said.

Shiwan ceramic decorations, mostly portraying Chinese folk stories, can also be found on the main ridge and gable corner walls of the temple's entrance hall.

Ng pointed out that the word "Ha Wan," which was the name of Wan Chai in the past, is engraved on the ridge of the Yuk Hui Temple.

There are also letters engraved in the cast-iron clock and two wooden plaques that celebrate Pak Tai, which all date back to the second year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty when the construction of the temple was completed.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com

Angel Kwan

A homemade bomb exploded on a platform at Lo Wu MTR station yesterday - with no one injured - as a bomb disposal robot attempted to detonate it.

The explosion has been considered a warning to mainlanders coming into Hong Kong via Lo Wu due to a Telegram group named "Fortune stick no 92," which claimed responsibility for planting a bomb in Caritas Hospital last week, again claimed responsibility for the bomb at Lo Wu.

Two bags containing homemade bombs attached with wires were found in the 11th compartment of a train at platform no 3 at about 3pm, with MTR staff immediately calling the police.

The two bombs were found under the seat of a train by a cleaner, who took them to the station's staff, said superintendent Po Chun-kuen of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau.

At about 3.15pm, one bomb burst into flames and the sound of an explosion was heard, senior Bomb Disposal Officer Alick Mcwhirter said, adding that the other explosive was later rendered safe.

Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau arrived on scene with bomb disposal robots. The second bomb exploded at about 5pm as a robot was checking it, marked by a loud bang along with fire and smoke.

In a message issued by the group, which was addressed to "mainland zombies", it said: "You guys come to our city to spread germs under the acquiescence of the tyranny, but you should think carefully whether you can get back alive."

A passenger surnamed Fong, who arrived in Hong Kong through Lo Wu at about 3.30pm, said he saw at least two bomb disposal robots on the platform.

Fong said he was not worried about safety, as most of the bombs were "usually fake" and "the government would be able to handle the real ones."

He said all other passengers and himself were asked to leave the station at 4.45pm.

Lo Wu station was closed at about 5.30pm and train service to the station was suspended.

Trains on the East Rail Line only traveled went between Hung Hom and Sheung Shui or Hung Hom and Lok Ma Chau.

MTR said free shuttle buses were arranged only from Lo Wu to Sheung Shui but not the other direction in order to facilitate crowd flows and avoid more people heading to Lo Wu.

Passengers were asked to take the train to Lok Ma Chau for going to the mainland, or use other transportation methods. Train service at Lo Wu station resumed at about 9pm.

Yesterday's bomb explosion was the fourth such case in a week, with a bomb being previously found outside a toilet in Shenzhen Bay as a warning to the government to close all boundary control points with the mainland.

angel.kwan@singtaonewscorp.com