Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

To pray for the prosperity of Hong Kong, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals organizes the annual Autumn Sacrificial Rites at Man Mo Temple － a declared monument on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan today (27 October 2016).

Mr. LAI Sze Nuen, BBS, JP, Chairman of TWGHs (1969/1970), accompanied by Mrs. Katherine MA, Chairman of TWGHs (2016/2017), and other Board Members, officiated at the ceremony and performed the rites, while Prof. CHOW Chun Kay, Stephen, SBS, BBS, JP, member of the Advisory Board cum Chairman of TWGHs (2001/2002), read the sacrificial odes and Mr. YU Shiu Tin, Paul, BBS, MBE, JP, member of the Advisory Board cum Chairman of TWGHs (1988/1989), acted as the Master of Ceremonies. The official party dressed in traditional Chinese robes to show their respect to the ceremony. The ceremony included Invitation for gods to be present (降神礼); First contribution (初献礼); Recital of sacrificial odes (颂祝礼); Second contribution (亚献礼); Third contribution (三献礼); Witness of the burning of sacrifices (望燎礼), as well as Thanking and excusing the gods (辞神礼)。

Among the many distinguished guests were The Hon C Y LEUNG, GBM, GBS, JP, The Chief Executive of HKSAR, Consul-General, and local dignitaries. Also paying homage in the event included Mrs. Katherine MA, the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen Dr. LEE Yuk Lun, JP, Mr. Vinci WONG, Ms. Ginny MAN, Directors Ms. TANG Ming Wai, Mandy, Ms. Renee HUNG, Mr. AU Yu Fan, Gabriel, Ms. FUNG Siu Wan, Stella, Mr. LIU Wai Lun, Jeffrey, Mr. MA Ching Yeung, Philip, Mr. LEE Kwong Yee, Jason Joseph, Ms. CHIU Yi, Cindy, Mr. TAM Chun Kwok, Kazaf, Mr. WAI Ho Man, Herman, Mr. HO Orlando Yaukai, Ms. CHOI Ka Yee, Crystal, Ms. TSENG Hing Wun, Wendy and Chief Executive Albert SU Yau On.

To celebrate the Autumn Sacrificial Rites, Man Mo Temple has invited local masters to reconstruct a traditional mechanical puppet stage (机动花牌) with the theme of 145 Parade of last year. This mechanical puppet stage offers visitors a chance to reminisce some important moments of the parade including Board Members walked along with the two sedan chairs chairing the “Man Cheong” (God of Literature 文帝) and “Mo Tai” (God of Martial Arts 武帝) in the procession, dragon and lion dancing, as well as Techno dance of Deity (电音三太子).

Traditional mechanical puppet stage is a kind of decorative floral board commonly seen in front of the shop to attract customers and was once very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. The craftsmen make a movable puppet performance supplemented with sound and lighting effects as similar as the real opera performance. Popular Chinese historical stories were often the main themes for the stages.

The temple, situated on Hollywood Road, is the largest one of its kind in Hong Kong. It is assumed that the temple was originally built in 1847. The Autumn Sacrificial Rites is an annual event organized by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals to pay homage to the two Gods “Man Cheong” and “Mo Tai”, and to invoke peace and prosperity for the people of Hong Kong. The practice arose from the Chinese tradition of offering thanks-giving to God for an abundant harvest. Having imperative historical and cultural values to the territory, the government announced that the Antiquities Authority declared the Man Mo Temple Compound as monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance in November, 2010.

TWGHs’s Autumn Sacrificial Rites at Man Mo Temple is included in the first inventory of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Hong Kong announced by The Leisure and Cultural Services Department in June 2014, which enhances Autumn Sacrificial Rites under a better safeguard.

Since its establishment in 1870, TWGHs has been all along upholding its mission “To heal the sick and to relieve the distressed; to care for the elderly and to rehabilitate the disabled; to promote education and to nurture youngsters; and to raise the infants and to guide the children.” Nowadays, TWGHs has become the largest charitable organization in Hong Kong. For over a hundred years, TWGHs’ medical and health, education and community services have developed rapidly to fulfill the needs of the society and to provide high quality services at low rates. Today, TWGHs operates over 303 services centres, including 5 hospitals and health services and 28 Chinese and Western medicine services centres, 53 education services centres, 215 community services centres that cover elderly, youth and family, rehabilitation and traditional services, whilst the Tung Wah Museum strives to promote, restore and preserve the heritage and relics of TWGHs. TWGHs Archives and Relics Centre has been set up to preserve TWGHs’ valuable cultural assets.

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Press Enquiry:　TWGHs Corporate Communications Branch

Accompanied by the Board of Directors of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Mr. LAI Sze Nuen, BBS, JP, Chairman of TWGHs (1969/1970), performed the rites.

Group photo of Mr. YU Shiu Tin, Paul, BBS, MBE, JP, member of the Advisory Board cum Chairman of TWGHs (1988/1989) (left 6), Prof. CHOW Chun Kay, Stephen, SBS, BBS, JP, member of the Advisory Board cum Chairman of TWGHs (2001/2002) (left 7), Mr. LAI Sze Nuen, BBS, JP, Chairman of TWGHs (1969/1970) (left 8), Mrs. Katherine MA, Chairman of TWGHs (2016/2017) with husband (left 10 & 11), The Hon C Y LEUNG, GBM, GBS, JP, The Chief Executive of HKSAR (left 9), guests and colleagues of TWGHs in front of Man Mo Temple.