News of the power of the three temples on a Sau Mau Ping hillside has been spreading by word of mouth since their inception in 1964, says temple leader Wong Wah.
Mr Wong, 80, who witnessed the building of the temples - Tai Sing Temple, the Temple of Guan Yin and the Shing Wong Temple - said the location on Anderson Road in Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong, was decided by the gods.
'The deities passed the message to some veteran worshippers that they aimed to land in Sau Mau Ping to protect Hong Kong and Kowloon residents,' he said, adding that residents then raised money to build the three temples.
Mr Wong said the temples were renovated once every three years, but otherwise did not change much. Then in 2002, the government announced its plans to relocate the temples, which worried local residents.
While it is a ritual that worshippers pay tribute to the gods at the beginning and the middle of each Lunar month, many people, including those from outside Sau Mau Ping, go to the temples to seek assistance when they encounter difficulties.
About 50 people visit the temples daily, while more than 100 worshippers go there on the first day and middle of each month, Mr Wong said.