Man Mo Temple
The first stop on this journey was the Man Mo Temple where we could experience Chinese religious culture. It is a compound which was built in 1847 - 1862 by wealthy Chinese businessmen and was comprised of three blocks, including Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Kung and Kung Sor. In the past, the Man Mo Temple compound provided worship and legal-related services to the people of Hong Kong. Man Mo Temple（文武廟）and Lit Shing Kung （列聖宮）are for the worship of all the Chinese gods, especially Man Cheong and Mo Tai. Apart from admiring some of the historical ritual objects and decorations, you can also worship to bless your studies. In these two temples, you can learn about the polytheistic culture of the Chinese community and the function of God in Chinese society。Don’t miss visiting the Kung Sor（公所）. The function behind this building was also intriguing as it was a meeting place and a venue for dealing with legal matters. In the past, when Hong Kong's legal system was not well established, the British Hong Kong Government agreed that Kung Sor was a place with legal effect. Hong Kong people could make vows through popular custom – Burning yellow papers and chopping a chicken's head. Kung Sor has now converted into a souvenir shop. If you are interested, you can buy some cute little accessories there.
Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong Bridges Street Centre
Our second stop, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong Bridges Street Centre is located on Sheung Wan Bridges Street. It was the headquarter of the Association until 1966. The Centre was declared a Grade 1 Historic Building in 2009. The Centre now provides rehabilitation services for mentally disabled people as well as sports and recreation services.The original headquarter of the Association was in a residential building on Central Des Voeux Road. The Bridges Street Centre was built in 1918 due to the rapid growth of the members and staff.YMCA is a world Christian movement with a Paris Basis as the mission that “The Young Men’s Christian Associations seek to unite those young men who, regarding Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour, according to the Holy Scriptures, desire to be His disciples in their faith and in their life, and to associate their efforts for the extension of His Kingdom amongst young men.”Based on the same mission, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong was established in 1901. The objective and purpose were stated as “the development of Christian character and the cultivation of the Christian spirit of service among young men, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
Ohel Leah Synagogue
Our third stop, the Ohel Leah Synagogue was constructed in 1902, by the Jewish community in Hong Kong. The name of this building, synagogue, is the name of the Sassoon brothers' mother Leah. It was the first synagogue in Hong Kong, as the centre of the Jewish community to have social and religious activities for over a century. The Ohel Leah Synagogue have two floors, the upper one is for Jewish women to use when holding religious activities because Judaism insists that men and women need to pray separately. The building is mainly supported by 10 stone pillars on the outer wall and it adopts the proportion and symmetry of classicism and combines the architectural styles of medieval Spain and East Judaism. There are octagonal towers on the left and right, and the central axis is symmetry. In the centre of the Synagogue is the high platform for the rabbi to read aloud the Five Books of Moses during religious activities. There is an ark facing Jerusalem in which the Five books of Moses(Torah) are stored, the most precious thing in Jewish tradition and have been preserved for more than a century. Judaism insists that every Torah must be copied by hand without any mistakes.Another thing that is important and related to Hong Kong history is, there is a stone tablet in the Ohel Leah Synagogue, engraved with the names of the Jews who died resisting the Japanese army during the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941. This shows how the Jewish community fits into and defends Hong Kong, just like other Hong Kongers. Jews are also part of Hong Kong.
Jamia Mosque
As we take the escalator at the Mid-Levels along Shelley street to Mosque Street, we can see the grade I historic building with a mint green facade surrounded by thick stone walls and tall trees. The ancient structure radiates tranquillity and serenity within the hustle and bustle of dense buildings and streets. Built in 1890, it is the oldest mosque in Hong Kong and the foundation of the local Muslim community. Before stepping inside the mosque, remember to dress in long pants or full-length skirts with long sleeves, and please take off your shoes. Inside the mosque, we can see the octagonal dome, stained glass windows, niche pulpit, etc, which are the same as they were in the old days. The rectangular-shaped hall of worship covers an area of about 250 square meters and can accommodate up to 400 people for worship at the same time. Every day the Muslims will perform Salat (prayer) inside the hall five times at prescribed times. And on Jumuah (Friday), they have the Friday prayer at noon. We can see the inset "niche" in the middle of the wall that not only marks the direction of the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca but also where the Imam would stand to lead the worship. On the right side of the niche is a pulpit where the Imam would stand to deliver his teachings on the five main days of worship. Muslim settlement can be traced back to the early 19th century when Hong Kong developed into a trading port for the British, and many Muslim seamen and garrisons settled in Hong Kong. They gathered around this area, known as Lascar street, which the old Hong Kongers called “Moro Kai”, meaning "streets of the people of the Moros", and it was speculated that “Moro” originated from Macau, where Portugueses called Muslim “Mouros”. At first, the Muslims held their Jamaat (assembly) directly on Lascar street. But as the Muslim community grew bigger, and locals were afraid of disturbing the Muslims, especially when they were holding porks and walking through the Muslims when they were having Salat (prayers), the community requested the government for land to build the first mosque in Hong Kong, which is the Jamia Mosque we see today.
