Che Kung Temple

Che Kung was a Song dynasty general credited with ending a plague, and the temple to him in Sha Tin is the largest of several in the territory, rebuilt in 1993 as a tall hall with a huge seated statue, standing next to the smaller original of the 1890s. The practice associated with it is the pinwheel: brass fans mounted on stands that worshippers turn to spin their fortune around for the coming year, along with drumming and incense. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, a day traditionally considered unlucky for visiting family, the temple receives enormous crowds who come instead to turn the wheels, and queues stretch far along the approach.

What you actually see

• The brass pinwheels - turned to spin a year's luck around.
• The tall main hall - the 1993 rebuilding with its large seated figure.
• The original small temple - the 1890s building kept beside it.
• Lunar New Year crowds - the third-day rush that fills the grounds.

When to go

Year round; the third day of the Lunar New Year is the peak and is extremely crowded. One hour. Weekday mornings are quiet.

Honest expectations

The main building is modern and functional rather than beautiful. Incense smoke is heavy in the hall. New Year queues can run for hours. There is little else in the immediate area.

Nearby

Sha Tin is east; the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery lies across the valley.