In Hong Kong there is a Taoist temple called Wong Tai Sin. It is said that "every wish asked for is granted," and it is the largest temple in Hong Kong, visited by about 3 million people a year.
From healing illness to every kind of wish
Its formal name is Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. The main deity is Wong Cho-ping (Huang Chuping), an immortal of the Jin dynasty. Not only Taoism is honored there: Guanyin of Buddhism and Confucius of Confucianism are enshrined as well.
It originally drew faith as a temple for praying for recovery from illness. Today it has become a place that receives every kind of wish, about work, study, family and more.
It was founded in 1915 by Leung Yan-am from Guangdong Province, and after a fire it was moved to its present site in 1921 following a divine oracle.
The phrase "yau kau bit ying"
Wong Tai Sin has the phrase yau kau bit ying, "whoever asks will surely be answered." It means that if you ask sincerely and with a true heart, you will surely be answered, even without grand offerings.
Looking not at the size of the offering but at how the heart is turned. I think this way of thinking is why so many people hold it dear.
Where do you turn your wishes?
Whether a temple or a painting, I think what matters is having "somewhere to turn your wishes." When there is somewhere to turn them, vague anxiety takes on a little shape.
Visiting a great temple like Wong Tai Sin happens only once in a while. But if a painting hangs on the wall at home, you can turn your wishes there every day. The scale is different, but the role may be close.
Mermaid nao's commissioned art is also work that creates a painting before which you can put your hands together, or turn your wishes, every day.
Sources
Wikipedia (Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong)
JCB PLAZA SELECT overseas travel guide (How to get to and pray at Wong Tai Sin, a famous power spot in Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Navi (Wong Tai Sin)
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