Pak Tai Temple Outlying Islands

This colourfully restored temple from 1783 is the epicentre of the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival, held in late April or early May. The most important and oldest temple on the island, it is dedicated to the Taoist deity Pak Tai, the ‘Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven’, military protector of the state, guardian of peace and order, and protector of fisherfolk. Legend tells that early settlers from Canton province brought an image of Pak Tai with them to Cheung Chau and, when the statue was carried through the village, Cheung Chau was spared the plague that had decimated the populations of nearby islands. A temple dedicated to the saviour was built six years later.