Ancestral temple
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An ancestral shrine, hall or temple ( or , vi, Nhà thờ họ; Chữ Hán: 家祠户), also called lineage temple, is a temple dedicated to
deified Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...
ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition. Ancestral temples are closely linked to
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
philosophy and culture and the emphasis that it places on
filial piety In Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Daoist ethics, filial piety (, ''xiào'') (Latin: pietas) is a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian '' Classic of Filial Piety'', thought to be written around the lat ...
. A common central feature of the ancestral temples are the ancestral tablets that embody the ancestral spirits.Edward L. Davis (Editor), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture, Routledge, 2004 The ancestral tablets are typically arranged by seniority of the ancestors. Altars and other ritual objects such as incense burners are also common fixtures. Ancestors and gods can also be represented by statues. The temples are used for collective rituals and festivals in honor of the ancestors but also for other family- and community-related functions such as weddings and funerals. Sometimes, they serve wider community functions such as meetings and local elections. In traditional weddings, the ancestral temple serves a major symbolic function, completing the transfer of a woman to her husband's family. During the wedding rites, the bride and groom worship at the groom's ancestral shrine, bowing as follows: #first bow - Heaven and Earth #second bow - ancestors #third bow - parents #fourth bow - spouse Three months after the marriage, the wife undertakes worship at the husband's ancestral shrine, in a rite known as ''miaojian'' (廟見). In mainland China, ancestral temples along with other temples have often been destroyed or forced to become "secularized" as village schools or granaries during the land reform of the 1950s and the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
. They have experienced a revival since the
economic liberalization Economic liberalization (or economic liberalisation) is the lessening of government regulations and restrictions in an economy in exchange for greater participation by private entities. In politics, the doctrine is associated with classical liber ...
of the 1980s. The revival of the ancestral temples has been particularly strong in southern China where lineage organization had stronger roots in the local culture and local communities are more likely to have clan members living overseas who are keen to support the revival and rebuilding of the shrines through donations.


Etymology

has its first character Ci Shrine in has its first character derived from Jongmyo, and its second character is Ci Shrine That phrasing can be seen as making the Jongmyo a more sacralized version, since Ci shrines are considered lower ranked than Miao shrines.


Gallery

File:Wuyi Yuyuan 20120219-18.jpg, Yu shrine in
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
File:The Memorial Temple for the Family of Ye in Nanping 2013-04.JPG, Ye shrine in
Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
File:吉安 渼陂.jpg, Liang shrine in
Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
File:Chen Clan Academy 3.jpg, Chen shrine in
Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
File:马降龙 02 - 黄氏宗祠.jpg, Huang shrine in
Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
File:臺灣賴氏大宗祠.jpg, Lai shrine in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
File:Shu-Shan Ancestral Shrine, Main Shrine, Ancestral Tablets, Tianzhong Township, Changhua County (Taiwan).jpg, Xiao shrine in Tianzhong Township of
Changhua County Changhua County ( Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth small ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...


Taiwan

Notable ancestral temples in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
include: * Koxinga Ancestral Shrine (), in West Central District, Tainan *
Liu Clan Shrine The Liu Clan Shrine () is an ancestral shrine in Liouying District, Tainan, Taiwan. History The construction of the shrine started in 1867 and completed in 1871. Architecture The shrine is housed in a single-story building. The whole complex ...
(), in Liouying District, Tainan * Yang Family Ancestral Hall (), in Jiadong Township, Pingtung County *
Wukou Village Liou Family Ancestral Hall The Wukou Village Liou Family Ancestral Hall () is an ancestral shrine in Wanluan Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. Architecture The Hakka-style hall spans over an area of 1 hectare. It was built with two internal wings, two external wings an ...
(), in Wanluan Township, Pingtung County *
Zhong-Sheng-Gong Memorial The Zhong-Sheng-Gong Memorial () is a memorial in Pingtung City, Pingtung County, Taiwan. History The memorial was constructed in 1929 by the Zhen clan family members who moved to Taiwan from Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th cent ...
(), in Pingtung City, Pingtung County *
Shetou Doushan Temple The Shetou Doushan Temple () is an ancestral temple in Shetou Township, Changhua County, Taiwan. History The temple underwent renovation in 1971 in which the verandas at the two sides were changed to a flat-top format. Architecture The templ ...
(), in Shetou Township, Changhua County * Chen Dexing Ancestral Hall (), in Datong District, Taipei


Hong Kong

Notable ancestral temples in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
include: * Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall, along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail * King Law Ka Shuk *
Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall The Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall () is the main ancestral hall of the Tang Clan of Lung Yeuk Tau and one of the largest ancestral halls in Hong Kong.Antiquities and Monuments Office: Declared monumentsTang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall/ref> ...


Southeast Asia

Notable ancestral temples in Chinese communities of Southeast Asia include: * Long Shan Tang Temple (), in Yangon, Myanmar *
Khoo Kongsi The Khoo Kongsi is a large Chinese clanhouse with elaborate and highly ornamented architecture, a mark of the dominant presence of the Chinese in Penang, Malaysia. The famous Khoo Kongsi is the grandest clan temple in the country. It is also on ...
, in Penang, Malaysia * Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi, in Penang, Malaysia * Tan Si Chong Su, in Singapore


Vietnam

Ancestral temple is called ''nhà thờ họ'', ''nhà thờ tộc'' or ''từ đường'' in Vietnam. An ancestral death anniversary will be held yearly at nhà thờ họ and this anniversary is usually used as an occasion to renew the relationship between clan members.


In other religions and cultures

Ancestral shrines or similar concepts are also common in other religions and cultures. Especially other East and Southeast Asian but also
traditional African religions The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...
have ancestral shrines and or tombs.
Ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
is an important and common element in native African religions and is still common and practiced by followers of folk religions but also Christian and Muslim Africans.


See also

*
Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
*
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...
*
Chinese ancestral worship Chinese ancestor veneration, also called Chinese ancestor worship, is an aspect of the Chinese traditional religion which revolves around the ritual celebration of the deified ancestors and tutelary deities of people with the same surname or ...
*
Ancestor tablets A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in tr ...
*
Chinese lineage associations A Chinese kin, lineage or sometimes rendered as clan, is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home. Description Chinese kinship tend to ...
*
Ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...
*
Chinese kin A Chinese kin, lineage or sometimes rendered as clan, is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home. Description Chinese kinship tend to ...
* Zupu *
Guanxi ''Guanxi'' () is a term used in Chinese culture to describe an individual's social network of mutually beneficial personal and business relationships. The character ''guan'', 关, means “closed” while the character ''xi'' 系 means “system ...
*
Kongsi Kongsi () is a Hokkien transcription term meaning "company", especially businesses which have been incorporated. However, the word has other meanings under different historical contexts. ''Kongsi'' were most commonly known as Chinese social organ ...
*
Bodaiji A in Japanese Buddhism is a temple which, generation after generation, takes care of a family's dead, giving them burial and performing ceremonies in their soul's favor.Iwanami kojien The name is derived from the term , which originally meant jus ...
*
Jesa Jesa (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholics, Bud ...


References


External links

{{Commons category, Ancestral halls
China Ancestral Temples Network

Ancestral halls in Tai Po, Hong Kong
Filial piety Ci Shrines