Temples to open overnight for ‘Kwun Yum Treasury Opening’

Three temples in Hong Kong will open overnight to the public to mark the annual “Kwun Yum Treasury Opening” festival, allowing worshippers to pray and symbolically borrow fortune from the deity.

The Chinese Temples Committee announced special arrangements for the observance, which falls on the 26th day of the first lunar month.

Under the plan, Hung Hom Kwun Yum Temple, Lin Fa Temple in Tai Hang, and Tin Hau Temple in Shau Kei Wan will remain open through the night on the 25th and 26th days of the first lunar month (March 13-14) to facilitate visitors wishing to pay respects and participate in the traditional ritual of borrowing fortune.

The practice, known locally as “borrowing from Kwun Yum’s treasury,” is believed by devotees to bring blessings and financial prosperity in the coming year.

Hung Hom Kwun Yum Temple will close at 5pm on March 13 and reopen at 11pm the same night, remaining open until 8pm the following day. Red packets representing symbolic borrowing amounts will range from HK$30 million to HK$1 billion.

Lin Fa Temple in Tai Hang and Tin Hau Temple in Shau Kei Wan will both open from 11pm on the 25th day of the lunar month until 6pm the following day. The symbolic borrowing amounts at Lin Fa Temple will range from HK$80 million to HK$1.28 billion, while those at Tin Hau Temple will range from HK$10 million to HK$1.2 billion.

The Chinese Temples Committee reminded visitors that each worshipper may bring only three sticks of joss sticks, with each stick not exceeding 0.8 centimeters in diameter and 50 centimeters in length.

For Hung Hom Kwun Yum Temple and Lin Fa Temple in Tai Hang, designated incense-lighting areas will be set up outside the temple grounds. Lighting candles and burning paper offerings inside the temple premises will not be permitted.

The committee also urged visitors to queue in person and not place objects to reserve spots in line. Worshippers attending the temples are advised to follow instructions given by on-duty police officers and temple staff and to maintain order throughout the event.

The annual Kwun Yum Treasury Opening ritual attracts large crowds each year, with many believers hoping the symbolic act of borrowing fortune will bring good luck and prosperity in the months ahead.