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Man
Mo Temple, a temple dedicated to Man, God of Literature,
and Mo, God of Martial Valour, is located at the intersection
of Hollywood Road and Ladder Street. Built in 1848 during
the early years of British rule, the temple is one of
the oldest and most famous temples in Hong Kong. People
pray to the pair of deities in the hope that their children
will inherit the wisdom of Man and the strength of Mo.
Rebuilt
several times, the temple still keeps its original appearance.
Two images are enshrined inside the temple, God of Literature
who holds a writing brush in his hand and God of Martial
Valour who wears a green gown and holds a long sword.
The brass and pewter incense burners, and heavy wooden
chairs with intricate carvings of images of the gods,
make visitors feel the atmosphere of crowded worshippers
praying in the temple in past years. From the ceiling
in the middle hall, massive coils of incense suggesting
the shape of a pagoda hang down and burn slowly, the fragrant
smell permeating the room and "attracting the attention"
of the gods. Occasionally the rhythmic beating of a drum
can be heard in the background.

In
the early days of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the local
Chinese were not accustomed to the proper ceremony for
taking a religious oath. Then the Qing court adopted the
traditional Chinese oath taking form to fulfill the task.
It is said that the oath taking ceremony that included
cutting off a chicken's head and burning yellow paper,
as performed here during the period of the Qing Dynasty,
is still recognized today by the Hong Kong Government.
Near
the temple are fortune-tellers' stalls where you can discover
your destiny by shaking a bamboo cylinder containing fortune
sticks - the number on the first stick to fall out corresponds
to a suitably ambiguous written fortune.
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