Waterfront Shrines

Hong Kong, China

The Hong Kong waterfront is thoroughly contemporary (skyscrapers, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken, are just behind this jetty), but pays hommage to tradition in the shrines and statues that face out to the sea, source of all its prosperity: a golden fish and rider at photo left, lantern shrine center, and, at photo right, a group of three rams that recalls the legend of goddesses, riding on rams, who brought the first grains of rice to South China.