Tin Hau Temple Lamma

This temple has wooden plaques from the Qing dynasty, which means it should be over 100 years old. Its appearance, however, originates from a 1960s reconstruction. Note the lions guarding the entrance. They look comical and slightly western. During the reconstruction, China was in the throes of the Cultural Revolution with its vow to destroy old customs. It was impossible to find a sculptor to create new lions, and there being a dearth of such expertise in Hong Kong, the task fell upon a Lamma sculptor known for making western-style lions for customers in Southeast Asia.

Unlike Chinese felines who sit upright with their backs to the temple, these ones lie horizontally facing each other like the HSBC lions.