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Hong Kong Holidays/ Festivals 2018
2015 Calendar below for reference
The first day of January 1 Jan
Chinese New Year of the Goat 19 Feb
The second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year

Che Kung's Birthday

20 Feb
The third day of the Lunar New Year 21 Feb
Spring Lantern Festival / Yuen Siu 5 Mar
Chinese Groundhog Day 6 Mar
Ching Ming Festival 5 Apr
The day following Ching Ming Festival 6 Apr
Good Friday 3 Apr
The day following Good Friday 4 Apr
Easter Monday 6 Apr
Labour Day 1 May
Birthday of Tin Hau 11 May
Buddha’s Birthday and Cheung Chau Bun Festival

also Tam Kung's Birthday

25 May
Tuen Ng /  Dragon Boat Festival 20 Jun
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day 1 July
Kwan Tai / Kwan Gon's Birthday 8 Aug
Seventh Goddess' Day / Tsat-je 20 Aug
Chinese Ghosts Festival / Yue Lan 27 Aug
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival / Moon Festival 27 Sep
Day after Mid-Autumn Festival

Monkey King Festival

28 Sep
Confucius' Birthday/Teacher's Day 9 Oct
Chinese National Day 1 Oct
Chung Yeung Festival  
Winter Solstice 22 Dec
Christmas Day 25 Dec
Boxing Day 26 Dec

 

Hong Kong Festivals 2016
Hong Kong Festivals 2017

   

 

 

Home > Festivals > Tin Hau Festival

Birthday of Tin Hau

Also known as the "Tin Hau Festival".  In year 2012,  it falls on 13 Apr which is March 23rd of the lunar calendar.  Watch out because the lunar calendar does not match the normal calendar each year in the same way.

 

This is not a public holiday and you will only see something special actually very close to a Tin Hau temple - and probably only in the smaller communities particularly in fishing islands.

 In some places also called Matsu (媽祖, pinyin: Māzǔ; literally "Mother-Ancestor"), this was a real lady -- who's name was Lin Muoniang (林默娘) but after death became the  Taoist Goddess of the Sea.  Because it is her who who protects fishermen and sailors you will find a lot of temples to her on fishing islands.

Tin Hau is very important because she is god of the sea and hence patron of fishermen.  as most of Hong Kong communities are originally from the sea she is very important in traditional island life.

In Hong Kong, around 60 temples are dedicated, at least partially to Tin Hau. They were mostly built around early Ching dynasty.    The temple in the Tin Hau area, east of Victoria Park, in Eastern district, on Hong Kong Island, has given its name to the area and to the MTR station serving it (Island line). There is a big temple for Tin Hau on Cheung Chau as well as Peng Chau because there are still fishermen in these areas..

You may find some particularly interesting celebrations at Joss House Bay, in Sai Kung (a fishing village in years gone by). where they have procession and traditional ceremonies at the local temple.  The Sai Kung Tin Hau temple is also called 'big temple' as you can guess it's one of the major ones.  It was built in South Sung dynasty in 13th century.  It was then renovated in 1965 and 1992.  You can catch bus no. 92 from Choi Hung to Sai Kung town centre.  It takes about 5 minutes to get there.  Alternatively, New World First Ferry also runs special ferries to go there from North Point. ferry pier.  Check it out before you go. 

In Yuen Long, in the New Territories, a parade takes place with colorful floats and lion dances -- but Yuen Long is really a Long Long way -- at least an hour bus ride from Central (catch the bus outside the HSBC Bank Building).  I heard there is something similar in Lei Yu Mun - the famous seafood place.  So, watch the floats, walk around the old stilt house villages and dine in a local seafood restaurant!

 

Other Chinese Gods:

- Kwan Tai
- Kwun Yum
- Che Kung
- Tam Kung
- Monkey King

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