The city's Taoists want the birthday of their religion's founder, Lao Tzu, to be declared a statutory holiday, saying a poll showed that a majority of the population supported the idea.
The Hong Kong Taoist Association yesterday proposed the 15th day of the second month of the lunar calendar be made a public holiday to promote their religion and to honour Lao Tzu.
The association also suggested it would be an extra holiday, thus bringing the total number of general holidays in a year from 17 to 18.
According to a survey of 1,012 people in February, 41 per cent backed the proposal, 30 per cent opposed it and the rest had no opinion or said the question was too difficult to answer.
It also found that 54 per cent of respondents said they took part in Taoist activities such as picking a fortune stick, burning incense sticks and worshipping Taoist deities - but only 2 per cent of people polled called themselves Taoists.
Association chairman Tong Wai-ki said that during the Lunar New Year, more than 1.35 million people visited popular Taoist temples, such as Wong Tai Sin Temple and also Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, reflecting a tight bond between Hong Kong people and Taoism.