Hau Wong Temple, Junction Road, Kowloon City — Attraction in Hong Kong

There are several Hau Wong Temples to be found in Hong Kong but this one is probably the most famous. The Hau Wong Temple in Kowloon City was built in 1730 and rests on Junction Road half way between the Lok Yu MTR station and the Kowloon Walled City Park. It is a Grade 1 historical building and makes a nice quick stop for those planning to visit the Kowloon Walled City.

There is disagreement as to the origins of this temple. However, the prevailing belief is that the temple commemorates a Chinese general, 'Hau Wong' Yeung Leung-jit, who helped the last emperor of the Song Dynasty by providing him refuge in Kowloon, averting invading forces in search of him.

Hau Wong Temple has cultural artefacts including attractive wall reliefs and Chinese calligraphy. Also, the main hall contains images of Hau Wong as well as chambers which are well decorated. The temple is quite small and can be comfortably visited in 10-15 minutes, making it convenient to see before or after your visit to the nearby Kowloon Walled City Park.

Overall, this Hau Wong decent temple visit but there are better temple visits in the area. These include Wong Tai Sin (Wong Tai Sin - MTR) and the Chi Lin Nunnery (Diamond Hill - MTR). In the end, this Hau Wong Temple is a good stop on the way to the Kowloon...

Hau Wong Temple (侯王古廟) was probably rebuilt in 1730. Some believe that it was built to commemorate Yang Liangjie (楊亮節), a loyal follower and a marquis of the last Emperors of the Southern Song dynasty who fled with the royal family to Kowloon driven by the Mongols in the last years of the remnant court.

A number of plaques hanging at the temple witness important events affecting Hong Kong’s history. The plaques brushed by two Qing commanders, Lai Sijue (賴思爵) and Zhang Yutang (張玉堂), show their gratitude to the deity who was believed to have blessed them to win a battle they made at the Opium War with the British. Many stone tablets, couplets and plaques bear inscriptions of calligraphy by many famous scholars such as Chan Pak-to (陳伯陶), Luo Sai-sheung (羅世常) and others who tendered thanks to the deity.

The temple is a small Qing vernacular building having two halls with later added side chambers for other deities, keeper’s quarters and pavilions. The end hall’s gables are in Five Peaks Paying Tribute to Heaven (五岳朝天) style, a very rare design seldom found in Hong Kong. Don't forget to watch the "one-stroke crane" calligraphy...

九龍城侯王廟是香港九龍的侯王廟，位於黃大仙區近九龍城的聯合道與東頭村道交界，昔日白鶴山南麓。自1928年開始由華人廟宇委員會管理，於2014年獲香港古物古蹟辦事處評定爲香港法定古蹟。

有關該廟的緣起，說法不一。晚清學者陳伯陶指該廟供奉的侯王爲南宋功臣楊亮節，並於1917年寫成一篇《侯王廟聖史碑記》，碑文載道：「考楊侯古廟所崇祀者乃宋末忠臣楊亮節，宋帝為元兵追逐至於海隅九龍駐蹕，後移師大嶼山駐節大澳，亮節侯護駕並禦元軍，旋楊侯嬰疾，然軍為旁午，仍運籌帷幄，求卻強敵，帶病奉公，不幸藥石無靈，薨逝九龍，葬於城西，歿後追封為王，其公忠體國名垂青史，士人為崇功報德，遂建廟奉祀，藉期庇蔭每於農曆六月六日侯王寶誕」。另一說法認爲侯王是一位曾爲宋帝昺治癒失眠症的楊姓村民。還有人認爲侯王是曾協助宋兵抗元的楊姓人家祖先。

雖然歷史上對侯王的出處未有定案，但一般認同第一種說法，即侯王爲楊亮節，是南宋的國舅，生前封「侯」，死後封「王」，所以叫「侯王」。據稱，南宗末代皇帝（宋帝昺）曾在楊亮節的襄助下南逃至九龍，楊護駕有功，世人敬其忠義，故建廟以紀念。

九龍城侯王廟早於南宋末年至元朝初年已存在，為一座茅屋，以紀念南宋忠臣楊亮節。現存的侯王廟則建於清朝雍正八年（1730年），並曾於乾隆二十四年（1759年）、道光二年（1822年）及光緒五年（1879年）進行修繕。

2005年，九龍城侯王廟動用400萬港元進行大規模翻新，加建了詩詞坊、許願閣等新景點，並於2006年重新開放。

侯王廟是三幢式建築設計，由正門進入是正殿，中央供奉侯王像；左面分別是羅漢堂、佛光堂及龍華堂。羅漢堂及佛光堂前有一個小庭院，庭院牆頭的石灣人物雕塑精美，色彩鮮明，與正殿前古色古香的亭子相連。善信要先經過亭子，才能入廟敬神。

廟內保存了不少具有文化藝術價值的文物，包括多組置身於牆身的石灣浮雕、刻有「侯王座前」四字的鐵香爐是道光二十七年（1847年）九龍司官員許文深所立、一筆寫成的「鵝」及「鶴」字石刻、多面匾額包括「至誠前知」木匾為同治光緒年間駐守九龍寨城廣東大鵬協副將賴鎮邊所送、「折洋鋤盜」為光緒十四年（1888年）大鵬協副將何長清等所送。道光二年（1822年）所立的《重修楊侯王宮碑記》，是九龍黃大仙區最古老的碑刻。

侯王廟所在地各為白鶴山，有「鶴嶺」之稱，有人將「鵝」「鶴」二字刻在廟後山巨石上，號稱別亭，即俗稱「一筆鵝」及「一筆鶴」。「鵝」字一筆寫成，是張壽仁所書，對聯「古石書鵝摹逸少...