Hau Wong or Hou Wang (Chinese: 侯王; Jyutping: hau4 wong4) is a title that can be translated as "Prince Marquis" or "Holy Marquis". It is not any one person's name.[1] Hau Wong refers usually to Yeung Leung-jit (楊亮節), a loyal and courageous general. Despite his failing health, he remained in the army to protect the last emperor of Southern Song Dynasty when he took refuge southwards in Kowloon.[2]
Temples in Hong Kong
There are several temples dedicated to Hau Wong in Hong Kong, including six temples in Yuen Long.[3] These temples can be named Hau Wong Temple or Yeung Hau Temple (楊侯古廟). The table provides a partial list of these temples: Note 1: A territory-wide grade reassessment of historic buildings is ongoing. The grades listed in the table are based on this update (10 September 2013). The temples with no status listed in the table below are not graded and do not appear in the list of historic buildings considered for grading. Note 2: While most probably incomplete, this list is tentatively exhaustive.
This Yeung Hau Temple is also known as Yee Ling Temple and Za Ling Temple. Situated to the east of Tong Yan San Tsuen near Sha Tseng Road, it was built before 1711.[14]
This Yeung Hau Temple was renovated in 1901. It serves as the social venue which plays the dual roles as a temple and an ancestral hall of San Wai. Basin meal feasts are organized in front of the Temple during Yeung Hau Festival and Lunar New Year.[16]
This Tai Wong Temple was probably built between 1662-1722. It is the main temple of Nam Pin Wai as well as Yuen Long Kau Hui.[18] It was built for the worship of the two "Tai Wongs", Hung Shing and Yeung Hau.[19] Other than for worship, the temple was a venue for solving disputes and discussing market affairs among the villagers.[20] It also once served as a yamen and the officials lived there.[18]
Yi Shing Temple (二聖宮) in Wong Uk Tsuen is conventionally called Tai Wong Temple. It is mainly for the worship of Hung Shing and Yeung Hau deities. Renovation was carried out in 1924. It still acts as an alliance temple of the Tung Tau Alliance formed by the seven villages around Tai Wai Tsuen. In the old days, the temple operated a credit society serving the alliance villages.[21][22]
^Frederick, Holder. Livernash, Edward James. [1892] (1892). The Californian Illustrated Magazine: December, 1892 to May 1893 Volume III. The Californian Publishing Company. No ISBN digitized text