To Yuen Tung and its religious rituals
In the mid-to-late 20th century, Lantau Island did not develop as rapidly as Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It was far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, so some people considered it to be an ideal place to pursue their faith.
There is a "To Yuen Tung" (also known as Mui Wo To Yuen Tung Buddhist and Taoist Society) in Luk Tui Tong Tsuen, Mui Wo. It was founded by five women in about 1970 to worship Taoist deities. Initially, they worshiped Kwun Yum and provided accommodation for retired single unmarried women. Later, To Yuen Tung gradually enshrined more Taoist deities, such as Tin Hau, Wong Tai Sin (Great Immortal Wong), Yuk Wong (Jade Emperor), Lu Dongbin, Chai Tin Tai Shing, the Seventh Sister, The Eight Immortals and Jai Kung.
To Yuen Tung is not a Taoist hall for spiritual retreats. For religious ceremonies, Taoist priests from Ching Sin Ching Sher are invited to preside over rituals and chant scriptures. To Yuen Tung also held religious ceremonies for worshippers from nearby villages and urban areas and provided vegetarian feasts for worshippers and residents.
Among the religious activities in To Yuen Tung, the Yu Lan (hungry ghosts) Festival is the most prominent. In the past, To Yuen Tung held the Yu Lan Festival from the 21st to the 24th day of the seventh lunar month every year. The festival was organised mainly by To Yuen Tung and the Ching Sin Ching Sher with Taoist rituals to release the dead souls from suffering. The ceremony included offering sacrifices to the deities worshipped there and scripture chanting by ging saang (participants in the Taoist ritual). A gam bong (a long piece of flattened paper) in the ritual venue recorded the names of the devotees and the amounts of their donation. On the last day of the ceremony, a paper Buddhist boat and Tai Si Wong (Ghost Master) would be taken to the beach of Silver Mine Bay. When passing by the Hung Shing Temple, the host from To Yuen Tung and ging saang would enter and pay their respects. After arriving at the beach, the ging saang would chant scriptures and then cremate the paper Buddhist boat and Tai Si Wong, as well as other paper offerings to complete the ceremony.
Although Lantau Island has gradually been developing, these religious beliefs and customs are still practised by some.
