By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- Tin Hau Temple, Joss House Bay, and temples across Hong Kong
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- April or May
- Dates
- Move each year with the lunar calendar
Thursday 29 April 2027, the 23rd day of the third lunar month by the Hong Kong Observatory’s conversion table. It is not a public holiday. Some community parades are held on a nearby weekend rather than on the day itself.
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Tin Hau is the goddess of the sea, and her birthday, on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, is one of the most local of Hong Kong’s festivals. Fishing families and everyone else crowd into the city’s more than seventy Tin Hau temples to pray for safe waters and good catches. The biggest gatherings are at the old temple at Joss House Bay in Sai Kung and at the parade in Yuen Long, with lion and dragon dances and towering floral offerings. It is not a public holiday, and everything is free to watch.
What Tin Hau Festival actually is
Tin Hau, known on the mainland as Mazu, began as a girl from a fishing family in Fujian who was said to rescue sailors at sea, and became the patron goddess of everyone who works on the water. Hong Kong grew from fishing villages, and her temples still stand along what were once its shorelines, many now well inland after centuries of reclamation.
On her birthday, worshippers bring incense, roast pork and fruit, fishing boats sail to her temples dressed in bright flags, and village associations carry huge round floral offerings, fa pau, through the streets to the sound of drums and cymbals.
The festival moves with the lunar calendar, landing in April or May, and it falls on a working day as often as not. The community parades sometimes move to a weekend nearby, which is worth checking before you plan a day around one.
Where to go
- Joss House Bay, Sai Kung. The Tin Hau Temple here is the oldest of its kind in Hong Kong and draws the largest crowds of the day, with boats decked in flags in the bay below. Arrive early: the approach is narrow and fills by mid-morning.
- Yuen Long. The Shap Pat Heung celebrations bring a parade of around three hours, with lion and dragon dances, bands and floral offerings carried towards the temple.
- Causeway Bay and the city temples. The temple that gave Tin Hau station its name, and the one at Yau Ma Tei, are easy to reach and busy with worshippers through the day, if quieter than the big gatherings.
Tickets and what it costs
Temple visits and the parades cost nothing. Incense is sold at the gates for a few dollars; light it from the burners provided and add it to the main urn.
In recent years special ferries and buses have run to Joss House Bay on the festival day; their timetables come from the Transport Department shortly before, and the fare is the main cost of the day.
Official information and booking: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/culture/celebrate-with-these-time-honoured-chinese-festivities.html
Getting there
For Joss House Bay, the festival ferries are the easiest way in; by road, the last stretch is a walk down from Clear Water Bay. For Yuen Long, take the Tuen Ma line to Yuen Long and follow the crowd and the drums.
Late April is warm and humid, and showers are common. Bring water and a light layer for the boat, and expect the temple courtyards to be thick with incense smoke.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Arriving at Joss House Bay at midday
The approach and the temple fill early. Take a morning ferry and leave before the return rush.
Assuming the parade is on the festival day
Village parades sometimes move to a weekend. Check the local announcement before you go.
Standing in front of the altar to take photos
Worshippers are queueing to pray. Step to the side, and ask before photographing people at prayer.
Wearing your best clothes into the courtyard
Burning incense and falling ash are everywhere. Dress for smoke.
Other Hong Kong events
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tin Hau Festival?
On the 23rd day of the third lunar month, which lands in April or May; the dates card above shows this year’s and next year’s.
Is the Tin Hau Festival a public holiday in Hong Kong?
No. Offices and shops keep normal hours, and the celebrations happen around the working day.
Where is the biggest Tin Hau celebration in Hong Kong?
At the Tin Hau Temple in Joss House Bay, Sai Kung, the oldest in the city, and at the parade in Yuen Long.
How do I get to Joss House Bay for the festival?
Special ferries and buses have run on the festival day in recent years, announced by the Transport Department shortly before. By road, the last part is a walk.
Who is Tin Hau?
The goddess of the sea, known on the mainland as Mazu, worshipped by fishing communities for safe waters and good catches.
Sources
- Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city’s traditional festivals
- Hong Kong Observatory, lunar conversion table for the coming year
- Hong Kong Observatory, lunar conversion table for the following year
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2028. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.