Are you the superstitious kind? Are you someone who believes in wishes coming true if you perform a certain ritual? Then the clump of Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees is definitely something you should be checking out on a trip to Hong Kong.
For those in need of good luck
The special yard of trees in a shrine located in Fong Ma Po is deemed to have the wonderful magic power of making wishes come true. Worshippers visit the temple soon after Chinese New Year to leave their wish at the tree.
The ritual
So how does this work? Well, the believers would write down their wish, tie the piece of paper onto a mandarin and throw it into the branches of the tree. Legend has it that if the mandarin does not fall to the ground, the wish will definitely come true.
The legend
There are so many stories that surround the 2 original giant Camphor trees that were by the shrine. One of many stories includes the tale of a father who came to the shrine and prayed in front of the tree for his son to improve in his studies. Marvellously, his wish came true and so word about the magical tree began to spread.
The place today
Back in 1998, the original tree caught fire and was replaced with a Chinese banyan tree. In 2005, 2 branches collapsed causing bad injuries, therefore, for safety reasons, worshippers are not encouraged to go near the original trees. Instead, there are racks where you can tie your wish to. If you happen to stay in a Wan Chai hotel the likes of Dorsett Wan Chai Hong Kong, make your way to this little village and visit the shrine to learn more.
