PAK SING ANCESTRAL HALL

Near the Man Mo Temple, you can see the Pak Sing Ancestral Hall, dating to the same period: a simple, unadorned hall of immense importance to the population at the time. Many Chinese immigrants living in Hong Kong wished to be buried in China upon their death, and it was here that the bodies were kept before being sent back home, while those whose families could not afford to pay the transport costs remained there. To this day, there is an altar testifying to their existence, with over 3000 plaques left by the families.

 

An interesting fact: in addition to being used as a morgue, the Pak Sing Ancestral Hall accommodated the local population who often preferred to consult traditional Chinese medical practitioners rather than Western doctors in the 19th century.