Hong Kong Fuyong Mountain Lie Nü Gong

Hong Kong Fuyong Mountain Lie Nü Gong

Lie Nü Gong is located on Fuyong Mountain in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. It enshrines "Yao Da Sheng Mu," a teenage goddess of the Hoklo people. Legend has it that she jumped off a cliff to her death after resisting sexual assault. The imperial court, moved by her chastity and bravery, honored her as a Lie Nü (Martyred Maiden), and her clan later built "Lie Nü Gong" to worship her.

Related Information

Lie Nü Gong is located on Fuyong Mountain in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. It enshrines "Yao Da Sheng Mu," a teenage goddess of the Hoklo people. Legend has it that she jumped off a cliff to her death after resisting sexual assault. The imperial court, moved by her chastity and bravery, honored her as a Lie Nü (Martyred Maiden), and her clan later built "Lie Nü Gong" to worship her.

Legend

The appearance of Lie Nü Gong in Hong Kong is said to have come about through the sudden manifestation of a spirit medium named Tang Hung Kiu, commonly known as Auntie Tang.

Auntie Tang gained the ability to communicate with Yao Da Sheng Mu and became a spirit medium in the mid-1950s. Before that, she was just a Hakka farmer’s wife with four children. She and her husband moved to Hong Kong in 1949 and, after several relocations, finally settled in Ma Sim Pai Village in Tsuen Wan. Life was hard, as they relied solely on her husband’s income from making tofu skin. During this time, strange occurrences suddenly began to happen to her. She started acting like a madwoman, often appearing dazed and talking to herself. At first, her husband thought she had been possessed, but then Auntie Tang suddenly claimed to be Yao Da Sheng Mu descended to Earth. Her real name was Yao Lan Wei, from Guanyin Pavilion in Shi Ba, Luo Yang, Boluo. She had died at the age of seventeen. She said she had been observing Auntie Tang for three years and knew she had the makings of an immortal, so she chose to reside in her body to perform miracles. As long as they enshrined her spirit tablet, they would never have to worry about food again.

It is said that from then on, Auntie Tang began to possess miraculous powers such as healing the sick, predicting the future, and exorcising evil spirits. Whenever she leaned over the altar in her small wooden house, the Saint Mother would possess her to answer worshippers’ questions (with her husband translating her Hakka speech). Her first patient was even cured of breast cancer.

Due to Auntie Tang’s effectiveness, her reputation quickly spread throughout the villages of Tsuen Wan, and the prestige of "Yao Da Sheng Mu" took root in the area. Later, when the government reclaimed land, Auntie Tang built a small hundred-square-foot temple on Fuyong Mountain as a permanent dwelling for Yao Da Sheng Mu. She named it "Lie Nü Gong," after the name of the temple in her hometown.

It is said that after Auntie Tang passed away, no one else possessed the powers. The Saint Mother will seek a new human host. If they are ever discovered in the future, she will surely return to them.

Activities and Customs

Since many old villages have not yet been demolished, the two annual birthdays of Yao Da Sheng Mu—her Ascension Day on the 16th day of the sixth lunar month and her Birthday on the 16th day of the tenth lunar month—attract huge crowds to Lie Nü Gong. There are also events like the Flower Cannon Drawing, where the cannons come from nearby community organizations, including Lin Sheng Tong of Ha Fa Shan, Quan Sheng Tong of Ma Sim Pai, Shun Li Tong of Sai Lau Kok, Hu Shao Nan Martial Arts School of Sha Tsui Road, Hop Chung Tong of Yau Gam Tau, and Bei Tang Lang Qun Ying Tong of Shek Wai Kok. This shows how widespread the faith is across Tsuen Wan. The Yao Clan Association also sends representatives to celebrate each year. Moreover, Yao Kwan Yu, a villager from Ha Fa Shan, became a devout believer in the Saint Mother and later built a branch Lie Nü Gong at the entrance of his village, resulting in two Lie Nü temples in the area—an iconic local feature. Unfortunately, the temple in Ha Fa Shan is difficult to access by car, making it hard for most visitors to find.

Transportation Guide

Location: Fuyong Mountain, Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong

How to get there: Take Citybus route 51