Story of Terrace of Seven Stars surrounding the Moon and Filial Son

Since ancient time, the trapezoidal open space behind the Tam Kong Temple has been known as the Terrace of Seven Stars surrounding the Moon. It housed a round stone table surrounded by seven stone stools.

According to the folklore of Coloane, there was a stonemason named Li Bida who often went stone-mining at “Shek Kok” (a certain section of the cliff) of Coloane Island to gather materials for masonry during the 2nd year of reign of Emperor Jiaqing of Qing Dynasty (1797). It happened that his mother, Madam Leung, was told by a celestial being in her dream one night that seven urns of gold and an urn of silver were hidden at “Shek Kok”. These valuables were actually left to her by her previous incarnation. Upon waking up, she really believed in the words of the celestial and took her son with her for the treasure hunt, though in vain. The disappointment left her physically ill and became bed-bound. In an effort to remedy her sickness, Li toiled painstakingly day and night to work pieces of stone into a table and seven stools which he placed on the site at “Shek Kok” where the urn of silver and seven urns of gold were said to be hidden. He then took his mother to “Shek Kok” and explained to her that the table and stools were a gift from the celestial being. Madam Leung knew that they were not gifts but stonework by her son. She was so touched by his filial piety and came to understand that this virtue of her son is far more precious than gold or silver. At this very point, her sickness left her immediately.