Man Mo Temple

Man Mo Temple is the oldest temple on Hong Kong Island — built in 1847, just five years after the British took control of the colony, and dedicated to the God of Literature (Man) and the God of War (Mo). The temple is the spiritual heart of old Hong Kong, and stepping inside — from the bright, commercial bustle of Hollywood Road into the dark, incense-thick interior where enormous coil incense spirals hang from the ceiling, burning slowly over weeks — is one of the most atmospheric transitions in the city.

The coil incense is Man Mo's visual signature — large spirals of sandalwood and agarwood that hang from the ceiling beams, each burning for two to three weeks. Worshippers attach red paper tags with prayers and wishes to the coils before they're lit, and the smoke from dozens of burning spirals creates a haze that gives the interior a dreamlike quality. The air is dense with fragrance, and the light filtering through the smoke creates the kind of chiaroscuro that makes photographers lose all sense of time.

The temple sits at the western end of Hollywood Road — Hong Kong's antiques and gallery street — and the walk from Man Mo through the antique shops of Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street) and down the Mid-Levels Escalator provides a compressed tour of old Hong Kong that connects the spiritual, commercial, and residential worlds of the island. The temple is free to enter, and visitors are welcome to light incense and pray alongside the regular worshippers, provided they're respectful of the space.