Historical floating Tin Hau temple to move ashore

The world's only floating Tin Hau temple in the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter is moving upshore on Tuesday to facilitate worshipers.

The newly made onshore "Triangular Island Goddess of Tin Hau Shrine of Peace" was located at the Ex-A-King Slipway Site and will keep the original features of the temple ship, with the flooring being green to create a sense of the sea.

The organizing committee chairman of the temple opening ceremony, Jennifer Chow Kit-bing, stated that moving the temple to a permanent location has taken over 30 years and cost more than HK$10 million.

She pointed out that most fishermen visiting the temple have already moved upshore, along with the ship having passenger limits and being dilapidated, leading to the relocation needs of the temple.

Chow stated that the religious items on the ship were still awaiting relocation.

She added that a ship inspection would be arranged before the renovation works of the floating temple kick-off and aimed at transforming it into a museum to commemorate the culture of the typhoon shelter and the history of Tin Hau.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan and the head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department, Joyce Ho Wai-yee, were among the officials attending today's opening ceremony.

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