### Chinese Temples Ordinance 《華人廟宇條例》

12. Closing of temple which falls into disuse
(1) If it appears to the Chinese Temples Committee that there is reason to believe that any registered Chinese temple is falling or has fallen into disuse, or that the funds and revenues of any registered Chinese temple are insufficient for its maintenance, it shall be lawful for the committee to call, in such manner and at such time and place as to the committee may seem fit, a meeting of such persons as may appear to the committee to be interested in the matter, and to lay the facts before such interested persons as may attend such meeting, and to ascertain their views. (Amended 33 of 1939 Supp. Schedule; G.N. 840 of 1940) 
(2) If upon considering such views, if any, and all the circumstances of the case it appears to the committee that sufficient support for the temple is not likely to be forthcoming it shall be lawful for the committee to order the temple to be closed. (Amended 33 of 1939 Supp. Schedule; G.N. 840 of 1940) 
(3) Notice of such order shall be posted up at the temple and shall if possible be given to the person or persons by whom the temple is controlled or some of them. 
(4) Upon the expiration of 1 month from the date upon which the notice is posted up at the temple and whether the notice has remained so posted throughout the said period or not, the temple shall be deemed to be an unregistered temple and if it is maintained thereafter it shall be deemed to be maintained contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance. (Amended 33 of 1939 Supp. Schedule; G.N. 840 of 1940) 
(5) Upon the posting up of such notice at the temple the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Incorporated may take possession of all the property of the temple and may sue for the recovery of any such property and may, with the consent of the Chinese Temples Committee, sell or otherwise dispose of such property. (Amended L.N. 15 of 1970; L.N. 68 of 1985; L.N. 263 of 1989; L.N. 144 of 2022) 
(6) The proceeds of any such sale shall, subject to any lawful claims, be transferred to the General Chinese Charities Fund.

13. Exempted Chinese temples
(1) The Chinese temples specified in the Schedule, hereinafter referred to as exempted Chinese temples

### Chinese Temples Ordinance 《華人廟宇條例》

14. Powers of search and seizure
(1) It shall be lawful for any person authorized thereto in writing by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, either generally or for a particular occasion, to enter and search, using such force as may be necessary, any place which such person may have reason to suspect to be or to contain a Chinese temple which is being or has been established or is being maintained, contrary to any of the provisions of this Ordinance or of any regulation made thereunder, or to enter and search, using such force as may be necessary, any registered Chinese temple in or in respect of which such person may have reason to suspect that any of the provisions of this Ordinance, or of any regulation made thereunder, is being or has been contravened, and upon any such search to seize and detain any books or documents and also anything which may appear to be or contain any evidence of any contravention of any of the provisions of this Ordinance or of any such regulation. (Amended 33 of 1939 Supp. Schedule; G.N. 840 of 1940; L.N. 22 of 1969; L.N. 67 of 1985; L.N. 262 of 1989; L.N. 144 of 2022) 
(2) No person shall obstruct any search authorized by this section.

15. Penalty
Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 1. 
(Amended 20 of 1948 s. 4; 22 of 1950 Schedule; E.R. 6 of 2019)

### Chinese Temples Fund Regulations 《華人廟宇基金規例》

1. Citation
These regulations may be cited as the Chinese Temples Fund Regulations.

2. Interpretation
In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
Account (帳戶) means the account “Deposits—Chinese Temples Fund” established by regulation 5; 
Chairman (主席) means the Chairman of the Chinese Temples Committee; 
Committee (委員會) means the Chinese Temples Committee constituted by section 7 of the Ordinance; 
Fund (基金) means the Chinese Temples Fund referred to in regulation 3. 

3. Chinese Temples Fund
The Chinese Temples Fund shall consist of—
(a) the revenues of all Chinese temples other than those specified in the Schedule to the Ordinance; and 
(b) any donations and voluntary contributions thereto.

4. Control and application
The Fund shall be controlled by the Chairman and applied in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of the Ordinance.

5. Maintenance of Fund
All moneys due to the Fund shall be paid to the Director of Accounting Services who shall credit them to an account entitled “Deposits—Chinese Temples Fund”. 
(L.N. 16 of 1977)

6. Investment
Moneys in the Account may, with the authority of the Committee, be invested by the Chairman in any Government securities or in such other securities as the Committee may specify, and interest or dividends received on account of investments shall be credited to the Account.
(33 of 1999 s. 3)

7. Realization of investments
The Chairman may, with the authority of the Committee, realize such part of the Fund’s investments as the Committee may specify. 

8. Certification of advances
All vouchers submitted to the Director of Accounting Services in respect of payments to be made out of the Fund shall be certified by the Chairman or his duly authorized delegate. 
(G.N.A. 94 of 1961; L.N. 16 of 1977)

9. Write off
The Chairman may, with the authority of the Committee, write off any asset or any debt due to the Fund which he considers irrecoverable.

### Chinese Temples Fund Regulations 《華人廟宇基金規例》

10. Annual accounts
(1) The Chairman shall cause proper accounts to be kept of all transactions of the Fund and shall cause to be prepared for every period of 12 months ending on 31 March in each year a statement of the accounts of the Fund, which statement shall include an income and expenditure account and balance sheet and shall be signed by the Chairman. 
(2) The accounts of the Fund and the signed statement of the accounts shall be audited by an auditor appointed by the Chief Executive, and the auditor shall certify the statement subject to such report, if any, as he may think fit. 
(3) A copy of the signed and audited statement of accounts together with the auditor’s report, if any, shall be laid on the table of the Legislative Council not later than 30 September next following the end of such period or so soon thereafter as the Chief Executive, in his absolute discretion, may allow. 
(G.N.A. 94 of 1961; 33 of 1999 s. 3)