Chun Kwan Emperor Festival: the Guardian Deity of Tsing Yi
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Areas
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Date
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival|Historical evolution
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Events
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Areas
Tsing Yi, New Territories
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Date
The 12thto the 17thdays of the third lunar month
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Historical evolution
The 15th day of the third lunar month is the birthday of Chun Kwan Emperor. It is said that Chun Kwan Emperor was a general surnamed Wu during the Southern Song Dynasty. He was highly respected by the people for his achievements in suppressing pirates and benefiting the people, and after his death, he was regarded as a deity to be worshipped.
According to inscriptions in Tsing Yi Chun Kwan Temple, Chun Kwan Emperor has manifested many times, so the people of Tsing Yi consider him as their guardian deity and organize celebration activities every year on his birthday.
Reports on the celebration activities of Chun Kwan Emperor’s birthday can be found in past newspapers. For example, in the 1960s, there were newspaper reports about villagers from Tsing Yi organizing a grand celebration event with performances of martial arts plays and firecrackers to welcome the deity. In addition, both Chun Kwan Emperor’s birthday and Tin Hau’s (Goddess of Heaven) birthday in Tsing Yi are celebrated together under “one stage for two birthdays,” meaning that the same stage is used consecutively for performances of martial arts plays dedicated to both deities.
Chun Kwan Emperor Festival| Events
Lunar calendar March 12th
Inviting the Gods
In the morning, Tsing Yi Chun Kwan Emperor invites gods with a ritual. Attendees carry images of Chun Kwan Emperor and other gods to the shrine. They also bring statues of Kwun Yum Bodhisattva, Guan Yu, God of Wealth, and God of Fortune. Other deities like Taiyin Niangniang, Damo Ancestor, King Yama, and Bogong are invited from temples in Xinyi New Village. Statues are placed and incense is offered by attendants to complete the ritual.
Lunar calendar March 15th
Birthday Celebration
Besides various martial arts groups performing lion dances and unicorn dances to celebrate this occasion, there is also a firecracker drawing activity to determine which family gets ownership over them.
Lunar calendar March 16th
Selection of Next Year’s Leader
The members of the attending committee go before Chun Kwan Emperor at the shrine for a cup-asking ceremony to decide on next year’s leader.
Lunar calendar March 17th
Sending off the Gods
This is when they conduct a ceremony to send off the gods. First, they send back deities such as Taiyin Niangniang (Goddess), Damo Ancestor (Bodhidharma), King Yama (God of Death), and Bogong (God) back to their respective temples. Upon returning to the shrine, they offer incense first before carrying away all remaining deities. The image representing Chun Kwan Emperor will be placed inside a palanquin and sent back to his temple.
When does the Chun Kwan Emperor Festival take place?
The festival takes place from the 12th to the 17th days of the third lunar month.More Details
Who is Chun Kwan Emperor?
Chun Kwan Emperor was a general surnamed Wu during the Southern Song Dynasty. After his death, he was regarded as a deity to be worshipped and is considered the guardian deity of Tsing Yi.More Details
