Visit Man Mo Temple

One of Hong Kong’s oldest Taoist temples. Its ceiling festooned with dozens of earth-colored coils of incense burned by worshippers, and its air thick with fragrant smoke, this colorful temple was built in 1847 by wealthy Chinese merchants. Dedicated to the writing-brush-wielding god of literature (‘Man’) and the sword-wielding god of war (‘Mo’), during British rule this temple served as a local dispute court during moments of tension between the colonialists and the Chinese population. Oaths were made here, sometimes accompanied by chicken sacrifice. Today it’s a popular place of worship. Some of its outstanding features include the four gilt plaques on poles outside the entrance, one of which tells menstruating women to keep out of the main building. Check out the Kung Sor hall, which was used by the local Chinese community for settling disputes before the introduction of the present-day justice system.