Waterfront Shrines

Kwun Yam Shrine
Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, China

The Hong Kong waterfront is of course thoroughly contemporary (skyscrapers, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken, are just behind this jetty), but pays homage to tradition in the form of Kwun Yam (Guanyin) Shrine, a complex of shrines and statues that face out to the sea, the source of Hong Kong's prosperity.

Kwun Yam Shrine features an amalgamation of Daoist, Buddhist, and Southern Chinese folklore. At photo left, a golden carp and rider are seen in front of a small statue of Mazu (Tin Hau). At photo right, a group of three rams recalls the legend of goddesses, riding on rams, who brought the first grains of rice to South China.