Bo Chuen Um 寶泉庵
Fujian is well-known for its vibrant cultural diversity, while various religious and folk beliefs are significant components of its culture. Different deities are worshipped by locals who live in different areas of Fujian. According to a statistic done in 2003, there were over 25,000 folk belief temples with an area of 10 square metres or more, reflecting Fujianese’s pursuit of their beliefs. They serve as tools for the worshippers to pray for good fortune and spiritual sustenance.
Due to land shortage, it is challenging for ordinary people to establish a large-scale temple in Hong Kong. Until the late 20th century, some Fujianese brought statues of deities from their hometowns to private apartments in Hong Kong for worshipping. Later, they were opened to clansmen, satisfying the pursuit of their beliefs.
Bo Chuen Um is an upper-floor temple in the Majestic Apartment, established by some Fujianese from Jinjiang through fund-raising. The principal deity being consecrated is Baosheng Emperor, who was a skilful physician born in the Northern Song Dynasty in reality. People established temples for memorial purposes after his accidental death. Most worshippers are Fujianese and Taiwanese, and they worship Baosheng Emperor mainly to pray for health. The ‘Hong Kong Bo Chuen Um’ was finally established after the Baosheng Emperor, consecrated in the Shenhu Bo Chuen Um, granted permission to build a temple in Hong Kong in 1990. The tradition of providing the worshippers with some free Chinese medicine in a designated pharmacy nearby is still kept, fully demonstrating the spirit of showing care and love to others like how Baosheng Emperor did. Besides offering a space for deity worship, Bo Chuen Um also helps unite clansmen.
福建有著開放包容的人文底蘊，各式各樣的宗教與民間信仰，是福建文化的重要組成部分。全省各地人民所奉祀的神祗不盡相同，據2003年的統計，當地面積在10平方米以上的民間信仰廟宇已超過2.5萬座，反映福建人對其信仰的追求，除了達到祈福的目的外，亦是心靈寄託的一種方式。
香港土地短缺，故難以在此覓得一片土地興建大型廟宇，至二十世紀末福建鄉里從鄉下請來神明在私人住宅供奉，後來開放給鄉親一同拜祭，才滿足到他們對信仰的追求。
位於北角麗宮大廈的寶泉庵，則是由福建晉江的鄉里籌款建成的樓上廟，主奉有「閩臺醫神」之稱的保生大帝，亦奉祀玉皇大帝、觀世音菩薩、 三坪祖師、女媧娘娘、玄天大帝和太乙真人等神祗。保生大帝原型為一位北宋時期的福建閩南名醫，一生懸壺濟世，人們在祂去世後興建廟宇供奉其靈，是祈求身體健康的神祇，信徒以閩臺人民為主。1990年，旅港深滬東垵聯友會的代表向深滬鎮寶泉庵的保生大帝祈求准許分香到香港供奉，得到准示後，香港寶泉庵終得以成立。今天寶泉庵仍保留贈醫施藥的傳統，響應保生大帝生前濟世助人的精神，除提供場所供人們奉祀神明外，亦起到團結鄉親的作用。
參考資料 Reference
陳滌樺、彭綽婷（2019）。《北角 . 香港 : 口述歷史》。香港：長春社文化古蹟資源中心。
簡瑛欣（2016）。〈福建神明佑香江——香港福建移民的廟宇、網絡與祖廟意識〉。《田野與文獻》，82，11-22。
林國平（2016）。〈從臨水夫人信仰看福建民間信仰文化的特色〉。《海峽教育研究》，1，72-78。