Hau Wong Temple in Kowloon City was probably built in 1730 or before for the worship of Yeung Hau Tai Wong with reference to the temple bell, which was cast in the eighth year of the reign of Yongzheng in the Qing dynasty (1730). The temple was taken over by the Chinese Temples Committee in 1928.
Hau Wong Temple was patronised by Qing officials and soldiers from the Kowloon Walled City when it guarded the territories between 1847 and 1899. Hau Wong Temple is one of the very few temples in Hong Kong to maintain a rich collection of historical relics relating to the garrison of the Kowloon Walled City, such as an incense burner donated in 1847 by Xu Wenshen, the first Assistant Magistrate of Kowloon, as well as other famous relics, such as the stone inscription with the character of “鶴” (crane), dating from 1888, which can still be seen at the back of the temple’s main hall.
The temple compound consists of the main temple building and a number of side chambers that were added later, as well as pavilions and stone inscriptions all standing on a masonry terrace. A separate pavilion with a hip-and-gable roof supported by fine granite columns and wooden brackets stands in front of the temple building Altars are placed in the rear hall of the main temple building where Hau Wong and other deities such as Kwun Yam are worshipped. The stepped gables of the rear hall are built in the style known as ‘five peaks pay tribute to heaven’ (五岳朝天), a very rare design that is seldom found in Hong Kong.
Hau Wong Temple was declared a monument in 2014.
Please browse this website for the opening hours of Hau Wong Temple.