Hong Kong Religionsadministrative region, China Chinese (Pinyin) Xianggang or (Wade-Giles) Hsiang-Kang

The religious persuasions of the people of Hong Kong are as various as their languages and dialects. Among the Chinese, followers of Buddhism and Daoism far outnumber other groups. The numerous Buddhist and Daoist temples and monasteries, some centuries old, play an important role in the daily life of the average Chinese. Although each temple is generally dedicated to one or two deities, it is not unusual to find images of a number of other gods or goddesses inside. For a fishing and trading port, the most significant deities are those associated with the ocean and the weather, such as Dian Hau, the goddess of heaven and protector of seafarers, who is honoured by temples at virtually every fishing harbour. Other leading deities include Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), the Buddhist goddess of mercy; Hong Shing, god of the South Seas and a weather prophet; and Wong Daisin, a Daoist saint and deity. Some half-million people are Christians, divided roughly equally between Roman Catholics and Protestants; there are some 50 Protestant denominations and sects such as Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, and Methodist. There are also small numbers of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews.