A mainland Chinese monk has been remanded in custody after allegedly stealing a statue of the Monkey King, a deity famed in classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, from a Hong Kong temple.
The 57-year-old, Zha Jianxin, appeared in West Kowloon Court on Wednesday after being charged with one count of theft involving a statue belonging to Lung Mo Temple in Tsuen Wan.
The statue, valued at HK$2,000 (US$255), depicts Sun Wukong, the mythological “Monkey King” character from the 16th century novel.
In Chinese culture, the character is often seen as a symbol of resilience, rebellion, transformation and spiritual growth.
Court documents state that Zha holds a two-way permit and lives in Shenzhen. He allegedly took the statue from the temple on August 24.
Zha did not apply for bail at the hearing but told Magistrate Amy Chan Wai-mun he wished to make a phone call to a fellow monk. His lawyer said the defendant, a Buddhist monk, was due to help a friend by chanting sutras but could not because of the case.
