China Travel

Man Mo Temple (Man Mo Miu) is a quite traditional Chinese temple situated at the corner of Hollywood Road and the aptly named Ladder Street (it appears to run straight up the mountainside).

The present temple building, dating from 1847, is dedicated to a pair of deities: Mo Tai, the god of war, and the god of literature, Man Tai. One of the oldest temples in Hong Kong, Man Mo is home to two antique chairs used to carry statues of the gods, which preside over the faithful from within clouds of incense pouring forth from hundreds of large incense cones suspending from the ceiling. Man Mo is an active working temple and visitors should be on their best behavior, which includes observance of a ban on photos.

The surrounding neighborhood is one of the most traditionally Chinese parts of Hong Kong, with winding streets and alleys full of small shops peddling antiques and sundry goods and crafts. Film buffs might recognize the temple from the film The World of Suzie Wong and video game heads may have fought their way through a digitally rendered Man Mo during a round of Shenmue II.