Hong Kong Guanzong Temple

　　Hong Kong Guanzong Temple is a lineage that traces back to Master Zhiyi, the founding patriarch of the Tiantai school of Buddhism, and was first established in Ningbo, Zhejiang by Master Fazhi, known as the "Venerable of Siming," for the purpose of preaching and practicing meditation. By the Song Dynasty, during the time of Master Jieran Fajian of Siming, the site was developed into the Sixteen Meditation Halls, establishing the scale for lectures and teachings. It was not until the early years of the Republic of China that the 43rd Patriarch of the Tiantai school, Master Dixin, with the aspiration to revive the ancestral teachings, advocated for the reconstruction of the lecture hall and renamed it "Guanzong Lecture Temple." In February 2004, it was approved by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to become the first Buddhist temple in Hong Kong permitted to conduct legal Buddhist weddings. The current abbot is Venerable Hongming.

　　Covering an area of over 20,000 square feet, Guanzong Temple boasts an elegant environment and majestic architecture. The upper level houses the Mahavira Hall, which enshrines the Three Buddhas in a serene and solemn setting. The rear section is the Guanyin Hall, which contains historically valuable palm-leaf manuscripts of the Sanskrit Buddhist Canon and other precious scriptures, making it an excellent place for study and practice. The lower level hall enshrines a white jade statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. In addition to being used for worship and sutra recitation, it also serves as a recreational center for two nearby elderly care homes, providing activity space for the residents. Behind the lower level hall is the memorial hall of Venerable Baojing. The hall enshrines the relics and image of Venerable Bao. On the right side of the temple entrance stands a memorial pagoda dedicated to Venerable Baojing.

　　As early as the 1960s, Guanzong Temple built the Buddhist Baojing Elderly Home on its current site, accommodating over a hundred elderly individuals living in hardship. Later, to keep up with social development, the Buddhist Baojing Nursing Elderly Home was constructed. Both homes are located within the temple grounds and are managed by the Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Society. In the mid-1990s, due to the dilapidated condition of the elderly homes, and with the support of patrons and the government, a new modern nursing home was rebuilt on the same site, providing well-equipped and comfortable accommodations for over 260 elderly individuals. In addition to elderly services, Guanzong Temple also operates two secondary schools, three primary schools, one kindergarten, and two schools for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The temple is generally open to worshippers daily and regularly hosts events such as the Bathing the Buddha Festival, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Repentance Ceremony, the Intensive Seven-Day Buddha Recitation Session, the Lotus Sutra Recitation Ceremony, the Prayer for Blessings to Heavenly Beings Ceremony, and the Universal Buddha Worship Ceremony for the birthdays of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

　　Hong Kong’s First Buddhist Wedding

　　On March 20, 2004, Hong Kong’s first legally recognized Buddhist wedding took place, with the certificate signed by the President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, Venerable Kok Kwong, acting as the witness for the marriage of lawyer Mr. Lam Chi-tat and Miss Cheng Sui-yee. The couple performed the wedding ceremony by offering incense, bowing in reverence, and chanting Buddhist scriptures, becoming the first Buddhist couple in Hong Kong.

　　Transportation Guide

　　Address: 12 Chee Fook Yuen, North District, Hong Kong

　　Getting There: By taxi