Kwun Yum Festival: The Birth of the Sea Goddess
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Why We Recommend it
Hong Kong honours Kwun Yum on her Day of Assumption as Sea Goddess, bringing festivities to temples all over the city.
Description
Kwun Yum temples around Hong Kong are gearing up to celebrate their deity’s Day of Assumption as Sea Goddess.
Kwun Yum was a male deity in the early eras of Buddhism, but evolved to a female deity in the Tang Dynasty (618-906). She is known as a goddess of sympathy, compassion and mercy, and is willing to hear the pleas of those who are suffering. It is said that Kwun Yum studied lotus blossoms, which now represent quietude, peace and being detached from the material world.
On 8 February 2020, expect worshipers start to queuing outside their temples to be the first to “borrow” money from the goddess. They will offer incense and draw lucky red paper that tells them how much Kwun Yum will loan them. If they find good fortune this year, they will repay Kwun Yum at next year’s festival.
