The Yuen Yuen Institute圆玄学院
- Type
- Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)
- Location
- Hong Kong, China · Hong Kong · Tsuen Wan, New Territories · Sam Dip Tam, Tsuen Wan; in full, the 'Special-Grade Heavenly Altar of the Perfected Way of Roundness and Mystery, Enrolled by the Nine Heavens'
- Coordinates
- 22.3836, 114.123 Map ↗
- School
- Daoist Temples and Altars of Hong Kong and Macau
- First built
- 1950 (founding proposed) / March 15, 1953 (opening) · In 1949, Patriarch Lü, through spirit writing, instructed Xie Xiantong to relocate to Hong Kong, and the institute was proposed the following year; it registered as a limited company in 1956 and was granted exemption from using the words 'Limited Company' in its name
Overview
The Yuen Yuen Institute, in full the "Special-Grade Heavenly Altar of the Perfected Way of Roundness and Mystery, Enrolled by the Nine Heavens," was proposed for construction in 1950 and opened on 15 March 1953; the institute is located at Sam Dip Tam, Tsuen Wan, New Territories. Its origins lie in the Xiantian Dao (Way of the Prior Heaven) system — a Hong Kong branch of the Tongshan She — from which it gradually became Daoicized, dedicated primarily to Patriarch Lü and upholding the unity of the Three Teachings. The institute's name signifies "Yuan" (Round) for Buddhism, "Xuan" (Mystery) for Daoism, and "Xue" (Learning) for Confucianism, with the propagation of the Three Teachings and the Eight Virtues as its founding purpose. Its principal building, the Sanjiao Da Dian (Hall of the Three Teachings), has a double-eaved, domed form, and enshrines together the Supreme Venerable Sovereign Laojun, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Confucius; there is also a Yuanchen Hall, a Guanyin Hall, a scripture repository, a pagoda, and a columbarium. The institute is one of the founding organizations of the Hong Kong Taoist Association, and today runs four secondary schools, four primary schools, and five kindergartens, and has provided elderly care services since 1974, making it a major religious charitable organization in Hong Kong.
Highlights
- The Hall of the Three Teachings
- The Yuanchen Hall's Year Deities (Taisui)
- Origins in the Xiantian Dao (Way of the Prior Heaven)
- The Yuen Yuen Institute's network of schools