The Tsing Shan Monastery, also known as Castle Peak Monastery, is situated at the foot of Castle Peak, near

Tuen Mun Tuen Mun () or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the mo ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Parts of the monastery are listed as Grade I historic buildings, others are listed as Grade II historic buildings.

Antiquities Advisory Board The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Secretary for Development, Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monum ...

List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings with Assessment Results

Overview

Inside there are the Pui To Pagoda, Tsing Wan Koon () and the Tsing Shan Temple. These historical monuments have stood through the ages in the tranquil wooded area. The striking and picturesque surroundings create an enjoyable view as well as a solemn ambiance. Upon entering the monastery, the words "" (Fragrant Sea and Prestigious Mountain) will be perceived engraved on the portico. It is a caption by the former

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Sir Cecil Clementi. On the reverse side are the words "" (Repentance is Salvation), an inscription by Reverend Tit Xim. Originating from Shiwan, the crest tile of the archway is a delicate art treasure.

Origin

According to legend, an Indian monk who liked travelling in a wooden cup was believed to have lodged where the monastery now stands. Attracted by the natural wonders and the serene milieu, he built a chalet there for practicing

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

. Since then, the name of Reverend

Pui To Pui To ( Chinese: 杯渡) was a Buddhist monk living at the time of the Liu Song dynasty in the Northern and Southern dynasties. The legend has it that he once went to Tuen Mun in the New Territories of Hong Kong to construct roads, and he lived a ...

() has become widespread. In memory of him, his followers built a

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

at the place where he formerly resided. At the back of the pagoda was a statue of Reverend Pui To. The time of construction, however, cannot be ascertained. Some say the Pui To Pagoda was built in the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

and redeveloped in the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. Regular maintenance works has kept the historical relic's original appearance intact. Adjoining to the Main Worship Hall is Ching Wan Koon, which is dedicated to Dou Lao, a goddess who is believed to be able to relieve people from their worries. The Tsing Shan Temple is the eldest amongst the temples in Hong Kong. There is a main worship hall inside the temple and the writing "" (Everything on Earth Has Ties and Reaches Nirvana Together) could be seen in front of the stairs leading to the hall. The peaceful environment of this

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Temple offers an abiding sense of harmony.