The Kwun Yum Temple in Hung Hom comes alive hours before the 26th day of the first lunar month, when the Kwun Yum Treasury is said to open.
Armed with incense and offerings, more than 1,000 worshipers flood the halls of the temple to pray for good fortune in the coming year.
The folk tradition has now evolved into a process of writing down one’s name, birthday and desired sum, before the worshipper draws a red packet. Within each packet is a sum written on a slip of paper, which could go up to hundreds of millions. This sum indicates the amount of cash the worshipper can borrow — but the temple always makes it a point to remind worshippers to return the money they borrow at the end of the year.
