Interesting about the abandoned statues. Could this explain the numerous Gwan Kung Statues I see on the altar of the Man Mo temple in Hong Kong or is it common to have numerous statues of the same deity in a temple?
martial arts altars/shrines are very tricky and the un-initiated shouldn't attempt it on their own as common mistakes can occur.
One particular one is that photos should always go from right to left starting with the eldest ancestor.
Also I've seen the most embarassing mistake in many a school where they placed a living individual's image on an altar and then go even furthe to burn incense to them.