Fan Sin Temple
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, located in Sheung Wun Yiu, Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
. It was declared a monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
on 30 December 1999.
Fan Sin Temple is the main temple in the villages of the Sheung Wun Yiu and Ha Wun Yiu; it is the only sample of this kind in Hong Kong.
It is uncertain that when the temple was constructed. However, according to a wooden plaque, which is hanging at the main hall of the temple, the temple has a history of over 200 years as the plagues was carved in the geng-xu year of the Qianlong
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
in reign of Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1790).
It is commonly believed that Fan Sin Temple was built by the Ma clan
Chinese clan
A Chinese clan is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home.-Description:...
to worship Fan Tai Sin Sze, the patron saint of potters.
Windows with iron frameworks were installed on four sides of the temple after World War II.
Many historic relics of the temple were destroyed after a serious fire in mid 1970s. The calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
and paintings above the entrance were repainted during the renovation in 1976 after the fire. There is a wooden plaque from 1970 and four commemorative stone plaques which record the restorations in 1897, 1925, 1964 and 1976 respectively.
A further restoration of the temple has recently been carried out and it is now open to the public.