Hong Kong Walk – Seven Terraces of Sai Wan, Lo Pan Temple
The Seven Terraces of Sai Wan (西環七臺) is a residential area and street group with a long history in Kennedy Town, Sai Wan (also known as Western District), Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.
Before the development of Kennedy Town, houses were built on the hills, and the flat land on the hills was reclaimed for building houses, called “Terrace”.
The Seven Terraces has a history of about 70 to 80 years, and the seven are Tai Pak Terrace, Hee Wong Terrace, Ching Lin Terrace, To Li Terrace, Academic Terrace, Li Po Lung Terrace, Tse Lan Terrace.
Lo Pan Temple (魯班先師廟) is a temple located in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong dedicated to Lo Pan (魯班; also transliterated as “Lu Ban”), the patron saint of Chinese builders and contractors.
First built in 1884, it is now classified as a Grade I historic building, and is also part of the Central and Western Heritage Trail-The Western District and the Peak Route.
Lo Pan (Lu Ban) was a Chinese carpenter, engineer, philosopher, inventor, military thinker, statesman who lived during the Spring and Autumn period of China.
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period.
Lo Pan was deified as a god, and is the patron deity of Chinese builders and contractors.
According to folk legend, he was born when a huge flock of cranes circled over his home and his room full of a special fragrance. He was therefore conceived as a celestial being. His festival falls on the 13th day of the sixth month of the Lunar Calendar.
Although there are several temples on the mainland China that are dedicated to Lo Pan, they are usually dedicated to Lo Pan along with other deities; Lo Pan Temple in Hong Kong pays tribute solely to Lo Pan.
Video Source: 西環七臺-羲皇臺,青蓮臺,太白臺及魯班先師廟.THE SEVEN TERRACES OF SAI WAN and Lo Pan Temple from 漫遊香港A walk around Hong Kong on Youtube ⁄ CC BY
