The Abandoned Gods of Hong Kong's Waterfall Bay
Meet the Unwanted Gods Who Live at Hong Kong's Waterfall Bay
By James Davies in Hong Kong Guides.
Tucked away along a coastal path behind a quiet housing estate on the south west of Hong Kong island is Waterfall Bay. Waterfall Bay sits at the bottom of a steep hill beneath the towering apartment blocks of the Wah Fu estate.
A short walk from the waterfall along the path that lines the coast brings you to one of the most remarkable and unexpected sights in Hong Kong.
On a narrow bank of land shaded by trees are thousands of ornate God statues crammed side by side. The statues depict Gods of different faiths, mostly Buddhist and Hindu, along with the occasional Virgin Mary and a smattering of waving cats.
The site has become a resting home for the thousands of statues that have outlived their original owners.
The abandoned God statues at Waterfall Bay Park Hong Kong
How Did Waterfall Bay Become a Home For Abandoned Gods?
A handful of statues were already laid out at Waterfall Bay when the present day self appointed caretaker of the site started adding to the collection.
Fast forward twenty years and there are now thousands of statues of Gods and deities of many religions in Waterfall Bay.
Throwing away a God statue is not good karma, and new Gods arrive regularly. Many of the statues belonged to somebody who has recently passed away.
Volunteers take care of the Gods once they arrive, with every statue securely cemented into place facing out on to the sea.
The Gods are an explosion of colour. Set against the backdrop of trees they crowd together to resemble the audience of a huge amphitheater or football stadium, all facing the same direction in various states of devotion.
Many statues pose in a peaceful state of meditation, whilst others cut a more extravagant figure.
Reports suggest that the huge influx of God statues is a relatively recent phenomenon, beginning in the last twenty years or so.
There are spaces cleared amongst the trees in anticipation of the arrival of many more Gods in the future – three more were added to the collection during our visit.
In the middle of it all is a cabin that serves as a small social club, also adorned with statues as well as a small altar. A game of mahjong was in progress when we visited, whilst a handful of men sunbathed on the nearby rocks by the sea in the scorching heat.
Waterfall Bay has a long history as a place of refuge, stretching back to pre-colonial days when piracy was prevalent in the seas around Hong Kong.
A large colourful Buddhist shrine faces out to the sea on the rocks next to the sunbathers, presumably to keep a safe watch over the ships that pass the bay each day.
Today Waterfall Bay Park provides a respectful lasting refuge as the final resting place to thousands of Gods without a home of their own.
How to Get to Waterfall Bay
It takes around an hour to reach Waterfall Bay from the main areas of central Hong Kong such as Tsim Sha Tsui or Mong Kok by public transport.
The easiest way to Waterfall Bay via public transport from the centre of Hong Kong is to take the MTR to Kennedy Town station, and then take the number 23 bus to Wah Fu shopping centre on Wah Fu Road. From there Waterfall Bay Park is a 5 minute walk downhill along Waterfall Bay Road.
When you can see the sea, walk down on to the path that runs parallel to the shoreline and take a left. The abandoned Gods are just a short walk away. They’re not next to the waterfall, which is about a five minute walk in the opposite direction.
Alternatively if you’d prefer to take a taxi to Waterfall Bay Park from Central it should cost about HK$90 (around £9/$12).
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I’m James, the founder, editor, writer and photographer at Where You’re Between. Currently based in Japan, I started Where You’re Between in 2017 to create detailed itineraries and in-depth travel guides for the places that I’m fortunate enough to visit. You can see all of our destinations here.
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