Worshippers offered incense sticks before the statue of deity Che Kung in the main hall and turned the iconic fan-shaped brass “wheel of fortune”, which is said to bring luck.

The temple was named after Song dynasty commander Che Kung who had a reputation for ridding villages of plagues and suppressing uprisings.

Devotees told the Post they had wished for good health and peace, while thanking the commander for tiding them over during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lam Lam, 57, said she prayed for a year of smooth sailing and expressed gratitude for his blessings over the past one.

“I pray to Che Kung every year, and thanks to Che Kung my life has been without many challenges,” she said.

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Praying at the temple for the first time after all Covid-related restrictions were lifted, Lam said the courtyard was so packed with people she could not move.

“Last year, they only let in a small number of people into the courtyard each time because of Covid,” she said. “This year, although they orderly managed the people on the street, there wasn’t enough crowd control inside the temple.”

Another visitor surnamed Hui said he used to be agnostic, but the state of the world made him pray to Che Kung for the first time this year.

“I prayed for good health and world peace,” the 67-year-old said.

“I was indifferent to gods and superstitions, but after I saw what’s happening in the world, such as wars, and as I’m getting older, I thought I needed spiritual sustenance.”

Two men dressed as the Monkey King, a legendary character from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, posed for photos with revellers outside the temple and received the occasional lai see packets.

Vendors selling charms, festive decorations and pinwheels said sales were weaker compared with last year, but added they were optimistic that more people would show up in the afternoon.

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Beo Chi, who set up his stall in front of the temple last year, had to rent another booth at the back of the market with lower footfall this year due to increased rent prices.

“The bidding price for the same location increased 20 to 30 per cent this year so we could only afford this spot with our budget,” he said.

The vendor added that the crowd size seemed thinner this year and was about 10 per cent behind sales compared with the same time last year.

“It’s inevitable, people travel overseas when the borders open,” he said. “But I’m waiting for the afternoon when more people come, I’m sure business will peak then.”

Che Kung Festival, which celebrates the commander’s birthday, falls on the second day of the first lunar month. But most people prefer to visit the temple on the third day as the time is traditionally considered to be inappropriate for visiting the homes of family and friends as squabbles can easily break out.

The Taoist temple is set to be open from 11pm on Sunday to 6pm on Monday.

Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, chief of prominent rural body Heung Yee Kuk, at the temple on Sunday drew the “neutral” No 15 fortune stick for Hong Kong, which a fortune-teller said meant the city was trapped in the woods and had lost its way.

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Written as a poem in Chinese, this year’s offering, roughly translated, read: “Holding an axe and entering a forest, looking for something not yet obtained. Wasting good material and losing one’s strength, offering oneself and waiting for the arrival of spring.”

The omen came with a brief explanation saying “financial endeavours might not be successful”.