LCQ18: Management of Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin

LCQ18: Management of Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin 
Question:
 
There are views that the Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, being an important historical and cultural temple, has a profound history and extensive social influence. Regarding the management of the temple, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that according to the information provided by the Chinese Temples Committee, the annual surplus of the Che Kung Temple for the year ended March 31 last year exceeded $16 million, whether the Government knows the intended specific uses of the surplus, including whether it will be transferred to the General Chinese Charities Fund under the Chinese Temples Ordinance (Cap. 153) or used for community projects in Sha Tin District;
 
(2) whether it knows, in respect of major decisions relating to the Che Kung Temple (e.g. the expansion project and the adjustment of fees for services provided in the temple), how the Committee seeks the views of worshippers or heritage conservation groups, and whether the Committee has held open meetings or kept records of such consultations on a regular basis; if the Committee has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether it knows if the Committee has formulated development strategies for the Che Kung Temple for the next 10 years, including coping with the growth in visitor flow, providing digitalised services (e.g. using a platform for electronic blessings) or implementing environmental protection measures (e.g. reducing the pollution caused by joss sticks); if the Committee has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,
According to the Ordinance, all revenues from the administered temples under the Committee (including the Che Kung Temple) must first be transferred to the Chinese Temples Fund (CTF). The temple keepers of individual administered temples do not have the authority to determine the use of these revenues. The CTF is primarily used for the purposes of organising customary ceremonies and the maintenance of the temple buildings and temple properties and so on. For instance, the Committee has granted fundings under relevant funding schemes to the Ta Chiu Festival Committee of Kau Yeuk of the Sha Tin Rural Committee for organising the decennial Ta Chiu Festival in the Year of Yisi, and to the Sha Tin Rural Committee for organising the Che Kung worshipping event. Any surpluses from the CTF may be transferred to the General Chinese Charities Fund (GCCF), also managed by the Committee, for the purposes of any Chinese charity in Hong Kong. It includes grants to the Home Affairs Department for provision of emergency financial relief to needy persons of Chinese race who are affected by natural disasters or accidents, as well as the GCCF funding scheme supporting charitable activities and projects for the Chinese community in Hong Kong. The use of surpluses from the CTF is also governed by the Ordinance and is not subject to the discretion of the temple keepers of individual administered temples.Issued at HKT 11:10

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