Wong Tai Sin (黄大仙祠)

Wong Tai Sin temple is a Taoist temple--not to be confused with a Buddhist temple.

There is a Wong Tai Sin MTR stop, so you will find this place very easily.

Entrance to the temple

That is the actual temple

Most people to "kau cim" (求籤). Kau cim is a fortune telling practice that originated in China in which the querent (person asking the question) requests answers (in the form of a bamboo stick) from a sacred oracle lot (I think this refers to the bamboo cup with bamboo sticks). The practice is often performed in a Taoist or Buddhist temple in front of an altar (Wikipedia). Keep reading to figure out how this thing works... because I made a mistake. :(

This is where you kau cim.

The bamboo sticks are at this little place to the left of where you kau cim. You can borrow them for free. Just remember to return them. 

This is what the bamboo cylinder/sticks look like. I got number 30...

So... I thought that after I go my bamboo stick that I am done... BUT... no.

Here is the actual process:

1) It would be good to have a question in mind before you actually go to the temple... It could be about something that's bothering you or it could be another your future... the sky is the limit!

2) Ideally, you'll have some sort of devotion (incense, flowers, fruits, etc.) for the main deity

3) Take the bamboo cylinder and revolve t around the incense burner three times and mix the sticks around by hand

4) Kneel in prayer, hold the cup between your palms, and ask your (specific) question to the deity.

5) Shake the cylinder until one stick falls out. If multiple sticks fall out, then it does not count.

6) The stick will have a number. This number is your answer.

THERE ARE MORE STEPS! I stopped here, and I think I got an inaccurate answer. -_-

7) CONFIRM the answer by tossing two jiaobei/moon blocks.

These are moon blocks. You only toss two.

"There are four possible answers that the jiaobei blocks can produce:

1) Shèngjiǎo (聖筊, divine answer): One block flat and another block round is a 'yes' answer. (This confirms your answer!)

2) Nùjiǎo (怒筊, angry answer) also kūjiao (哭筊, crying answer): Both blocks round is a 'no' answer. It is said that the gods are displeased by the question, and is shown in the way the blocks directly fall flat on the floor. 

3) Xiàojiǎo (笑筊, laughing answer): Both blocks flat have different interpretations; either it can be an emphasized 'no' answer and a sign that the gods are laughing at the question, or that they are laughing because the querent knows the answer to his or her question. One characteristic of this answer is when the blocks sway back and forth when dropped, a symbolic show of laughter. 

4) Lìjiǎo (立筊, standing answer): One or both blocks fall but stand erect on the floor indicate that the deities do not understand the referent's question, therefore the question is nullified and the procedure must be repeated. 

Say you get stick #1. You will want to confirm this answer by throwing the moon blocks. You will want to see one flat block and one round block. If this does happen, it is your answer. If it does not, it is not your answer.

Since it is not your answer, you will want to put the stick back, ask the question again, shake the cylinder, and wait for one stick to fall out. Then, you will want to use the moon blocks to confirm whether or not this is your answer.

Repeat this process until you get one flat block and one round block. It shouldn't take too long to reach the final answer, lol.

8) After you confirm your answer with the moon blocks, make sure to remember the number. I think there is a place to pick up fortune telling papers (pictured below). You will take the one that corresponds to the number on your bamboo stick.

Fortune telling papers

This is what my fortune telling paper looked like... except, it wasn't really the correct answer to my question since I forgot to do the whole thing with the moon blocks. -____-

9) Take the fortune telling paper to a fortune teller so you can get an interpretation.

As you can see most of the stalls were already closed... I keep going to places when they're about to close. -___- Answer, the closer the stalls are to the front, the most expensive the interpretation will be. English interpreters are usually really pricey. I am pretty fluent in Cantonese, so I just chose a random stall.

I think I paid 100HKD for an interpretation that wasn't even accurate. The interpreter was so impatient with me. He looked at me like I was an idiot because I forgot to do the moon block thing. -___- He said there was another way to confirm the answer... He scrambled some blocks with Chinese words and asked me to choose a few. Sketch...

Anyway, I got #30... and it's a bad number. :( There are good, neutral, and bad numbers.

My question to the deity had to do with how my job search will go... and the answer I got from the interpreter was... "Tomorrow is a good day for looking for a job. Search between 1PM to 4PM. You will be able to find a job, but you may not like it. They will work you like a dog."

................ WTF. Yup, that's a bad answer alright. However, that is obviously irrelevant to me. It wasn't like I was looking for a job in Hong Kong or anything. I didn't take that answer to the heart since I didn't even do the whole kau cim process correctly.

Anyway... that was that...

Here are other pictures from the temple.

Leaving the temple

Kau cim is a really popular activity. Please go try it for yourself! It's so interesting. I mean I did the kau cim thing all wrong and I think I got scammed by an interpreter (you will probably feel that way too)... but hey, it's part of the Wong Tai Sin experience, I suppose. I think if you go during earlier, when all the stalls are open, there will be a lot of interpreters that will try to convince you to go to their stall... so, be prepared for that. I mean, I wouldn't really know who to choose either... Just go with your gut feeling, haha.

Jenn