The gods smile on popular temple (hktdc.com)


	Incense smoke clouds the praying platform in front of the main altar, now closed for renovation

	Worshippers pray to the sacred portrait of Wong Tai Sin inside Fung Ming Hall

	When finished, the revamped main altar and praying platform will house more than 3,000 visitors

The smell of incense fills the air at Wong Tai Sin Temple, one of Hong Kong's best known places of worship and an iconic tourist site. Named after a Taoist deity, the temple draws tens of thousands of worshippers and visitors each year, many from abroad. "I like the traditional atmosphere and the classical architecture," says Gearoid O'Kelly from Ireland, on a recent visit to the temple. The place continues to draw hordes of worshippers and visitors, despite a major US$1.8 million facelift now underway.

"The revamped temple will create an environment that promotes a more civilised and appropriate way of worship, emphasising the spirituality and sincerity of the individual when praying to the deities," says Lee Yiu-fai, Chairman of Sik Sik Yuen, the temple's managing charity. "We want to get rid of the stereotype that the more incense you burn and the more artefacts you buy, the more devout you are."

Part of the temple has been closed since April for the renovations, designed to boost capacity and its status as a cultural landmark. Scheduled for completion in 2010, it is hoped the changes will further promote Chinese culture and provide visitors a more comfortable environment.

Honouring tradition

Once the changes are complete, the main altar will be enlarged and the tiered praying platform raised, to create a 744-square-metre underground space for a new shrine. The Tai Sui Yuen Sun Hall or Lord of the Year and Age Hall is dedicated to honouring 60 Taoist deities in Chinese astrology called "Tai Sui" and the Big Dipper.

In the first of its kind in China, the new shrine will also feature a domed ceiling with an LED installation that will light up a Chinese astrology map with changing patterns according to the season. "The main purpose of this installation is to create a calm and sacred ambience inside the hall, just like what you feel when entering a Catholic church," Mr Lee says.

"It's interesting because technology and tradition do not always go together," a visiting British couple points out. Still, they say they would not mind coming back to see the revamped temple. "As long as the changes don't disturb the traditional atmosphere, there's no harm in the enhancements."

Mr Lee says that after the expansion, the overall atmosphere and style of the temple will remain unchanged. "There will be a rich cultural flavour in Tai Sui Yuen Sun Hall, with traditional Chinese architectural elements, such as dragon pillars and statues of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals." He also points out that each of the 60 Taoist deities will be brought to life by 1.3 metre-tall figurines with unique facial expressions, dressed in traditional costumes.

Visitor-friendly

And to improve hygiene and crowd control, visitors will not be allowed to bring oversized joss sticks and paper offerings for burning at the temple and at Tai Sui Yuen Sun Hall. "It's a more civilised and environmental-friendly practice to introduce Taoist ideals to visitors, especially foreign tourists," Mr Lee says.

The temple is a major focal point on the first day of the Lunar New Year, when up to 10,000 worshippers rush to the main altar at the stroke of midnight in a bid to be among the first to offer their joss sticks, a ritual believed to bring luck and fortune for the rest of the year.

Last year, Wong Tai Sin Temple attracted more than five million visitors, a major proportion from overseas, making it one of the top-10 tourist destinations in Hong Kong.