Temples in Hong Kong (non LDS)

As we visit different areas in Hong Kong we frequently see temples of other religions.  We have visited several and decided to post some pictures of two of the temples we have visited.  The first one is a Chinese Temple (not sure which religion) and the second one is a Sikh Temple.

 Information on Chinese Temples:  Chinese temples are often comprised of many buildings, halls and shrines. They tend to be situated in the middle of towns and have north-south axises. Large halls, shrines and important temple buildings have traditionally been dominated by tiled roofs, which are usually green or yellow and sit atop eaves decorated with religious figures and good luck symbols. The roofs are often supported on magnificently carved and decorated beams, which in turn are supported by intricately carved stone dragon pillars. Many temples are entered through the left door and exited through the right.

Entering the temple grounds.

Some of the twelve figures representing the Chinese Zodiac

One of the worship areas

Ancestors are very important and gifts were being presented to them

An area for worship and prayer

Women with incense sticks which are burned as part of worshiping

Another building that has religious significance

The following information is on the Sikh faith and their beliefs.

Sikhism was founded in the Punjab region in India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev. Sikhism broke from Hinduism due, in part, to its rejection of the caste system.

The philosophy of Sikhism is covered in great detail in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy text. Detailed guidance is given to followers on how to conduct their lives so that peace and salvation can be obtained. The holy text outlines the positive actions that one must take to make progress in the evolution of the person. One must remember the Creator at all times – it reminds the follower that the "soul is, but a part of the whole that is God, who is ever merciful", and that the follower must dedicate their life to all good causes - to help make this life more worthwhile.

It was interesting to learn that the Sikhs believe in the following values (articles of faith?):

1. Equality: All humans are equal before God – no discrimination is allowed on the basis of caste, race, gender, creed, origin, color, education, status, wealth, et cetera. The principles of universal equality and brotherhood are important pillars of Sikhism.
2. Personal right: Every person has a right to life but this right is restricted and has certain duties attached to it – simple living is essential. A Sikh is expected to rise early, meditate and pray, consume simple food, perform an honest day's work, carry out duties for his or her family, enjoy life and always be positive, be charitable and support the needy, et cetera.
3. Actions count: Salvation is obtained by one’s actions – good deeds, remembrance of God – Naam Simran, Kirtan.
4. Living a family life: A Sikh is encouraged to live as part of a family unit to provide and nurture children for the perpetual benefit of creation (as opposed to living as a wild hermit, which was, and remains, a common spiritual practice in India).
5. Sharing: It is encouraged to share and give to charity 10 percent of one’s net earnings.
6. Accept God’s will: One should develop one’s personality so as to recognise the unity behind happy events and miserable events – the will of God causes them.
7. The four fruits of life: Truth, contentment, contemplation and Naam (in the name of God).

They also have prohibited behavior:

1. Non-logical behavior: Superstitions, or rituals which have no meaning, such as pilgrimages, fasting and bathing in rivers, gambling, worship of graves, idols or pictures, and compulsory wearing of the body-veil such as the Islamic Niqab for women, are prohibited.
2. Material obsession: ("Maya") Accumulation of materials has no meaning in Sikhi. Wealth such as gold, portfolio, stocks, commodities, properties, et cetera, will all be left here on Earth when you depart. Do not get attached to them.
3. Sacrifice of creatures: Sati – Widows throwing themselves in the funeral pyre of their husbands, the act of slaughtering lambs and calves to celebrate holy occasions
4. Non-family oriented living: A sikh is encouraged not to live as a recluse, beggar, monk, nun, celibate, or in any similar vein.
5. Worthless talk: Bragging, gossip and lying are not permitted.
6. Intoxication: The consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or other intoxicants is prohibited.
7. No priestly class: Sikhs do not have to depend on a priest for any of the functions that need to be performed.
8. Eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner (Kutha meat): Sikhs are strictly prohibited from eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner (such as halal or kosher, known as Kutha meat^[1] ), or any meat where langar is served.^[2] In some small Sikh Sects, i.e. Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Damdami Taksal eating any meat is believed to be forbidden, but this is not a universally held belief.^[3] The meat eaten by Sikhs is known as Jhatka meat.
9. Having premarital or extramarital sexual relations

No Pictures were taken in areas that were prohibited.

This  is a view of part of the Sikh Temple from across the street.

Everyone is welcome to come inside the temple

A view of some of the complex

This is the main worship area.  Before entering we were asked to remove our shoes and socks, wash and hands and feet and cover our heads.

The kitchen area.  Notice how large the cooking pots are.  Anyone who needs food can come to the temple and eat.  Donations are accepted but not required.  Volunteer work is also accepted.

The area missionaries eating during their visit to the temple two days before we went.

The area missionaries had made an appointment before going so were given a lecture on Sikh beliefs while they were there.

When we first arrived this young man saw us and came and asked if he could help.  We told him we were just interested in learning about the temple so he gave us a tour and answered questions.  We found out that he is from Russia and when we asked him where he learned to speak such good English he said, "from the missionaries".  Turns out he is a member of the the church.

Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery

On Mondays we have been able to go with some of the other senior missionaries, Temple and Area, and see some of the sights in Hong Kong.  One of the areas we really enjoyed was the Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery.  It was very relaxing to just enjoy the beauty of this haven in the city.

The information below is from the internet.

Nan Lian Garden, opened on 15th November 2006, is a Tang-style landscaped Chinese garden of classical elegance based on the blueprint of the famous Jiangshouju Garden in Shanxi Province. It was jointly developed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Chi Lin Nunnery. Although the location of the garden is in urban Kowloon this is a truly beautiful, colourful and scenic place with a tranquil and serene atmosphere. Noise barriers shield the gardens from the sound of traffic outside the garden and mounds have been placed around the whole garden with extensive planting of trees to filter exhaust and dust from the surrounding area.

Chi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns and was rebuilt in the 1990s following the traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The temple halls have statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy Guanyin and other bodhisattvas. These statues are made from gold, clay, wood and stone.

We were able to go in and see the statues mentioned above but were asked not to take pictures so we respected this request.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Where do you want to go?

Entering the Garden

Chinese Architecture

The Becksteads, left, who work in the Area Office and the Chattertons who work in the temple with us.  Elder Beckstead and Elder Chatterton both served in Hong Kong as young missionaries and were in the MTC together.

Elder and Sister Sorensen, yes we needed jackets because we arrived in winter.

Notice typical tall buildings in the background.

Flowering trees.

Chinese architecture old and modern.  Notice the fish in the pond.

Interesting tree.

This picture shows that this garden is a haven in the city.

The courtyard leading to the Buddhist Halls in the background.

Standing in front of the Buddhist halls and looking back at the courtyard.

Language in Hong Kong

Before we left to come to Hong Kong many of you asked if we would need to learn Cantonese.  We answered that English was also spoken in Hong Kong and we didn't anticipate learning Cantonese.  Now that we have been serving in Hong Kong for about 8 weeks we thought we would share with you our experience with different languages around the area and in the temple.

When we go shopping or just exploring we find that most of the Chinese people we meet are able to speak some English or at least enough that we can communicate what we want.  At times the original person we begin talking to will get someone else that understands English better to speak to us.  There are also several of the senior missionaries who served in Hong Kong as young missionaries so they speak Cantonese and help us when we are together.  Elder Sorensen is one of the few Elders who did not serve in Hong Kong as a young missionary.  When we first arrived we were given 3 cards to carry with us that have the address in Chinese and English for the the Hong Kong Temple, Harbourfront Hotel where we stay,  and the Wan Chai Area Office Building.  If we get in a taxi where the driver does not speak English we can show him the card with the address on it where we want to go so he knows where to take us.  Most of the signs in Hong Kong are written in Chinese and English (British English), though not everything we see.  When riding the MTR train information is given over the speaker system in the station and on the train in Cantonese and English.  We are able to function quite well out and about and feel comfortable going anywhere.

In the temple it is a wonderful experience working with several languages everyday and seeing the work move forward.  A typical preparation meeting for ordinance workers consists of the coordinator welcoming everyone and giving some information in Cantonese and then either he or an interpreter repeats what he said in English.  There is then an opening song sung in Cantonese and English at the same time.  An opening prayer in either Cantonese or English.  A scripture read in Cantonese and then read again in English.  Training by a member of the temple presidency in Cantonese then English or English then Cantonese depending on which member of the presidency is training.

The Hong Kong China Temple district has members who speak many different languages.  The temple is able to accommodate all of these members although most of the temple workers only speak Cantonese, English or Mandarin. Many Chinese ordinance workers can communicate in English in various degrees but not all. We have also learned that those who speak Cantonese don't automatically understand Mandarin or vice versa.  In an ordinance area it is common to hear several languages being spoken by the workers performing the same ordinance and the patron speaking a different language than any of the workers.  There are provisions made to help in these circumstances so patrons understand the ordinances in their language.  During an endowment session, typically not in English, many patrons wear head sets so they hear it in their own language.  Many times the officiator uses a head set also because the main language of the session is not his language.  The language to be used on a session is determined by what language the majority of the patrons speak.  If someone is receiving their own endowment then the session language will be the language of that patron.  We have had the experience of helping several patrons on the same session who speak either English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai, Spanish, Cambodian, Russian and Mongolian.  There are other languages used in the temple that we have not had experience with, yet.  We are both working on understanding some of the ordinances when they are spoken by patrons in Cantonese and hope to be able to actually help in Cantonese in the future.

It is wonderful how the Lord has made it possible for so many of his children who speak different languages to receive the blessings of his Holy Temple.  We have found that even when someone comes to the temple who's native language isn't spoken by any of the workers in the temple there is a language that communicates to all, the language of the spirit.

The badges we wear in the temple are in two languages.

These are the cards we carry with us in case we can't communicate where we want to go.  The Hong Kong Temple, Harbourfront Hotel and the Wan Chai Area Office Building.

The Hong Kong China Temple schedule card.

Where do you want to go?

In the airport.

International symbols are helpful.

More signs.

Safety reminder.

Sometimes the meaning does not clearly come through in the translation.

Inside the MTR train station giving the times for departing trains.

The same information board changes languages every few seconds.

Below are two audio clips as examples of what we hear when we ride the train, (Click on the blue wording and the audio file will download.  Open the file and play it).

In the Train Station Audio (click on link for access)

On the Train (click on link for access)

Finally Settled

We are finally settled enough in Hong Kong to put something on our blog.  What a wonderful experience we are having already.  Everything started with our training for three days in the Salt Lake Temple which really made us feel that we are now missionaries and ready to go forward and serve.  Things didn't start off as well as planned to get to Hong Kong because after arriving at the Salt Lake airport at 3:45 am to fly to Dallas to catch our flight to Hong Kong we found out that the flight had been cancelled.  We were not able to get another flight that day so we flew out the next morning.  Our flight to Dallas took 3 hours and then our flight to Hong Kong took 17 hours more.  We finally arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday January 18th, our wedding anniversary.   President and Sister Lee, Hong Kong China Temple President and Matron, were waiting for us at the airport and gave us a very warm welcome.  They then took us to our apartment at the Kowloon Harbourfront Hotel where we were greeted by some of the temple missionaries.  After resting on Thursday we went to the temple on Friday and were set apart by President Lee as ordinance workers.  We also received our temple orientation that day so we can find our way around the temple and it was needed because different parts of the temple are located on different floors with three elevators each going to different places.  Saturday was our first full day of temple service and we both loved the opportunity to serve in the Hong Kong Temple and feel the spirit of the Chinese Saints, even though we don't always understand what is being said.  Sunday we had the opportunity to attend one of the several Filipino Branches in Hong Kong with mainly Filipino Sisters who are in Hong Kong employed as domestic helpers.  What a blessing to once again be among the Filipino members who we came to love so dearly as we served in the Cebu Philippines Temple.  We look forward to being assigned to serve in one of the Filipino Branches.

This is the wonderful group we received our training with in the Salt Lake Temple prior to heading to our different temple missions.  From left to right:  Elder and Sister Cannon -their mission call is to coordinate the training for temple missionaries and help with training, Elder and Sister Eccles - Boston Massachussetts, Elder and Sister Sorensen - Hong Kong China, Elder & Sister Chatterton - Hong Kong China, Elder and Sister Cox - Kona Hawaii, Elder and Sister Ohlson - Copenhagen Denmark, Sister Reuser - Washngton DC, Elder and Sister Thorne - Washington DC, President and Sister Aldredge, former Salt Lake Temple President and Matron, they were in charge of our training which was filled with the spirit.

We feel very privileged to wear our missionary badges everywhere we go.

Bags packed and ready to go at 3 am.

Entrance to our apartment complex.

Our apartment bedroom.

Our kitchen area with Sister Sorensen at work.

Our living room area.  Our apartment is very nice and adequate.

This is the view out of our window looking across the harbor to Hong Kong Island.

This is our apartment complex.  We are on the second floor.  The other temple missionaries also stay here as well as the missionaries in the area office.

The close building on the left is our apartment complex.  Very tall buildings every where.  We walk to the buildings in the center of the picture to do our shopping at ground level.

This is looking toward Hong Kong Island, on the right, from the harbor side of our apartment complex.  A nice walking path is on the left.

Looking across to  Hong Kong Island at night.

This is by the Area Office Building where we attended church on Sunday.  We are not in Fayette anymore.