A Hong Kong Holiday: Part 3; An Especial Temple

Temples are not a rarity in China. In fact, there are over 70 temples in Hong Kong alone dedicated to a local deity. That's not to say that the commonness of Buddhist Temples makes visiting them underwhelming; absorbing the culture while observing worshippers and admiring the architecture can be enlightening.

But in Hong Kong I had the opportunity to visit one of my Church's temples, which is a rarity in China. Although the government allows freedom of religious belief, it does not guarantee freedom of religious activity. Don't get me wrong- we don't have to conduct Sunday activities in secret, but certain limitations are imposed. However, as a Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong is exempt from these rules (as far as I know) and is home to an LDS Temple!

Visiting this was pretty high on my to-do list, and Tanu gracefully accompanied me while we traipsed across Hong Kong in search for the edifice. Finding it was actually somewhat difficult, as I couldn't get service from my cell phone provider and had to rely on hard copy maps instead of GPS (*gasp). But the sun was setting as we finally reached the temple, which allowed for some great outdoor shots.

It was Christmas Eve when these photos were taken, and even though I'd tried to convince myself that I wouldn't sulk too much because I wasn't spending the holidays with family, I have to admit that I did feel some lil lumps in my throat throughout the day.

However, of all the places to be on Christmas Eve without family, I suppose the temple ranks among the best. Of course, the buildings themselves are aesthetically pleasing and everyone can appreciate their beauty (much like, as an outsider, I enjoy some aspects of the Buddhist Temples). But for me, LDS Temples are especial buildings.

In addition to temples being places of worship where we learn more about God and ourselves, we believe that marriage ceremonies that take place there are eternally binding; that is, family relationships solemnized here can exist after this life, forever.

So on this penultimate day of Christmas festivities--a day when family togetherness is the root of so much holiday happiness--being at the temple allowed me to reflect on how much my family means to me. We are not perfect, but I am so grateful for the close relationships that I have with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. If I am to spend eternity with anyone, I'm glad that it'll be with this bunch.