Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees

The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees (Chinese: 林村許願樹) are a popular shrine in Hong Kong located near the Tin Hau Temple in Fong Ma Po Village, Lam Tsuen. The temple was built around 1768 or 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

The two banyan trees are frequented by tourists and locals during the Lunar New Year. Previously, they burnt joss sticks, wrote their wishes on joss paper tied to an orange, then threw them up to hang in these trees. It was believed that if the paper successfully hung onto one of the tree branches, these wishes would come true.

This practice was discouraged by the authorities after 12 February 2005, when one of the branches gave way and injured two people. Instead, wooden racks are set up in place for joss papers to be hung while a period of conservation is imposed to help these trees recover and flourish.

The Hong Kong Morris, a morris dancing team based in Hong Kong, dances at the Wishing Tree on 1 May each year to celebrate the arrival of summer.

Lam Tsuen has been a residential area since the Song Dynasty, which was about 700 years ago. The commencement of residence was believed to be in 1287 A.D.Tin Hau Temple, which the wishing trees locate aside, was built during the Qianlong period in the Qing Dynasty. It was used as the ‘highest administrative body’ in Lam Tsuen, responsible for policies and administration of the villages covered in Lam Tsuen.Luk Wo Tong was made a substitute of Tin Hau Temple in 1954 by the Lam Tsuen Valley Committee. Lam Tsuen wishing tree was an ordinary camphor tree where a tablet for enshrining and worshipping Pak Kung was placed. As years passed, the branches and leaves gradually withered and eventually it became a hollow tree. People started to believe that Lam Tsuen wishing tree was magical after a legend: a man whose son had had a slow learning progress made a wish to a hollow tree. After that, his son’s academic performance has shown drastic improvement. This was spread to other people and an influx of them flocking to make their wishes to the hollow tree occurred. That hollow tree therefore became renowned.

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Wikipedia