Che Kung Temple in Ho Chung

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The Che Kung Temple at Ho Chung in Sai Kung is believed to be over 460 years old. It could be one of the oldest temple in Hong Kong. It is well worth a visit.

According to the Fung Shui, the five hills behind Ho Chung valley look like five tigers rushing to the farmland. The villagers were suggested to build a temple to protect the farmland and villages. The temple honours Che Kung, a great general during the Sung Dynasty (AD 960-1279) who suppressed a revolt in Southern China and was later deified by the Taoist religion. By the end of Sung Dynasty, Che Kung protected the emperor when the royal family tried to settle down in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, Che Kung died of disease and became deity of villagers.

Its location, with its Fung Shui woods behind it, the river immediately in front, and its well-preserved traditional design and architecture, make it one of the most auspicious traditional buildings in the New Territories. The narrow roadway in front of the temple, along the river bank, used to be the main route from Sai Kung market to Kowloon. It passed through the valley and then steeply up the hillside to Pik Uk and over the pass to Kowloon City. The area around the temple used to be entirely rural, but over the years, the area has undergone industrial and residential development.

Source: Hong Kong Tourist Board and Fu Shan Tang