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Chapter 7: Tsuen Wan: The District Office and Its Involvement with Festivals and Religion
- Hong Kong University Press, HKU
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Chapter Seven TsuenWan:TheDistrictOffice and Its InvolvementWith Festivals and Religion One day In 1977, I received from the managers of the Holy Mother YIU Temple the clistomary red mvltation card, brushed m black mk It mVlted me 'to lend my presence and bestow mstructIon' on the occasIOn of the goddess' birthday, and the inauguratIOn of the next term of the 'firecracker ' or wOIshlppmg aSSOCiatIOn lInked to the temple N ot the least fascinating aspect of my long service 10 Tsuen Wan District was the involvement of the District Office with what may be called the popular religion. The senior staff were invited to attend the local celebrations for the major festivals of the lunar year, especially those arranged by the indigenous village communities. As the local official responsible for land and people, the District Officer's presence was expected as a matter of course; and as we shall see, he was on some occasions considered to be an essential player. Through such friendly involvement in the lives of the people, we were made to feel at home in our surroundings, and part of the community. At the same time, in the course of our duties as the land authonty, there were sometimes confrontations at festival times with religious committees which would ignore official directives on the permitted use (or demal) of sites for opera performances. Then again, owing to the District Office's leading role in land recovery and clearances for development, our involvement with the religious community was sometimes unpleasant for either side, as quite a number of the local religiOUS houses and their inmates were caught up in them. However, as with our participation in the festivals, these duties were another means for us to get to know more about local people and their character. /64 Friends and TelJ.cliefS: !-Iollg KOllg {Ind Its People /953- 87 GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE FESTIVALS celebrated in Tsuen Wan town and district were common to the Chinese-speaking world. I Punctuating al intervals the length of the lunar calendar and recurrent in every successive year. they had always brought colour and gaiety into Jives that were otherwise drab and monotonous. There were the principal lunar festivals to celebrate in the joyful, time-honoured way, such as New Year, Dragon Boat Day and Mid-Autumn. The annual celebrations at each of the local temples on its major deity's birthday were also important events, when the organizing committees provided opera or puppet shows for the customary four days and five nights, and sometimes for longer periods. Other occasions included the Yu Lan or ' Hungry Ghost ' Festival, and the Spring and Autumn Festivals devoted to paying respects to ancestors. Large numbers of people took pan at many of these events, as spectators or participants. The clientele was mainly local, but some of the festivals attracted outsiders on account of their special features. or because a particular deity had become renowned for perfonning miracles and making accurate predictions. We had plenty of opportunity to watch our local leaders at work in running these events, which often involved quite considerable powers of organization and control. They were a reminder of the long tradition of selfmanagement in these former rural communities, and of the importance of festivals and the rituals associated with them in the lives of the people, especially those intended to ward off trouble and bring happiness and prosperity . A calligrapher hard al work on Ihe pavemenT just before the lunar new year. brushing auspicious scrolls and couplets for use in the home. Courtesy. SCMP. [54.224.90.25] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 11:17 GMT) Tsuen Wan The Dlstnct Office and Its Involvement With Festlvals and ReitglOn 165 So far as we were concerned, the festivals fitted III neatly with our own government-imposed tasks. Bringing together common interests and providing frequent opportunities for shared activity, they made a major contribution to local community life, and complemented the government's community building work and its efforts to encourage public spirit and foster a sense of local identity (p. 154 and chart at p. 160 above).2 THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD is so well-known to Chinese and foreigners alike that it needs no introduction here. Suffice it to say that it was a time for relaxation and enjoyment, in the company of family and friends. In the I970s, it was for many the only break from work in the year, giving it an added importance. The local temples and religious houses were...