Man Mo Temple

Man Mo Temple Review

It's believed to be Hong Kong Island's oldest temple, though no one knows exactly when it was built—the consensus is sometime around the arrival of the British in 1841. It's dedicated to the Taoist gods of literature and of war: Man, who wears green, and Mo, dressed in red. The temple bell, cast in Canton in 1847, and the drum next to it are sounded to attract the gods' attention when a prayer is being offered—give it a ring to make sure yours are heard. To check your fortune, stand in front of the altar, ask a question, select a small bamboo cylinder, and shake it until a stick falls out. The number on the stick corresponds to a written fortune. Then go next door, where an English-speaking fortune-teller can tell you what it means for HK$20.