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Lei Yue Mun Seafood
Bazaar
Located on the Kowloon side of the narrow eastern entrance to
Hong Kong Harbour, the small fishing village at Lei Yue Mun first
came into prominence in the 1960s, when it became fashionable to go
there for its seafood. At that time, most diners would select their
own live seafood from the fish market, and then take it to a
restaurant for cooking. Many still do, but with many more
restaurants now in business, you can make your selection closer to
your table. Lei Yue Mun launched a Seafood Festival in 1992, and so
successful was it in promoting business that it has since become an
annual happening. During the Festival the narrow streets reverberate
to the drums, gongs and songs of Cantonese opera performers, while
lion dances add a touch of frenzied excitement to the occasion.
Restaurants arrange attractive promotions and offer special dishes
to keep their tables busy, and local and visiting gourmets converge
on the area to dine on superb seafood dishes washed down with wines,
liquors or copious draughts of beer. But whether or not it's Seafood
Festival time, splendid fresh seafood hot from the pot or wok is
always available from Lei Yue Mun's specialty restaurants. Besides
enjoying a glorious meal, visitors can also inspect a couple of
nearby sites of moderate interest. One is a very unpretentious
lighthouse to warn approaching ships away from the rocks on which it
stands. The other is a Tin Hau Temple set by some large rocks
bearing bold Chinese inscriptions. Getting to Lei Yue Mun is
something of an adventure in itself, but well worth the effort.
Either take (a) MTR to Kwun Tong Station on Kowloon side, leave from
Exit A1, head to Yue Man Square and take a KMB Bus Route 14C; or (b)
on leaving Exit A1, take a red minibus from Hip Wo Street; or (c)
MTR to Lam Tin Station, Exit D, and take green minibus Route No 24M
from the bus concourse; or (d) MTR to Sai Wan Ho Station on Hong
Kong side, Exit A, and take the Lei Yue Mun ferry from the nearby
pier.
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Tin Hau Temple
The Tin Hau Festival celebrates the birthday of Tin Hau, also
known as the Queen of Heaven and Goddess of the Sea and its
celebrated on the 23rd day of the third month of the lunar calendar.
Chinese legend says Tin Hau, the daughter of a fisherman in China's
Fujian Province, had visions that enabled her to predict storms. On
one occasion she saved her father's boat from a fearsome tempest and
other stories have emerged about Tin Hau saving people from
drowning. Today, fishermen regard her as their patron saint. Tin Hau
temples dot China's coastline wherever there are fishing
communities. During this annual festival, fishermen make a
pilgrimage to a Tin Hau Temple to pray for protection on the high
seas and for full nets in the year ahead.
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Information provided by
Hong Kong Tourism Board.
