The Bok Kai Temple () is a traditional

Chinese temple Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' miào'' () or ''di ...

in the city of

Marysville, California Marysville is a city and the county seat of Yuba County, California, located in the Gold Country region of Northern California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,072, reflecting a decrease of 196 from the 12,268 counte ...

, located at the corner of D and First Streets, and served as the center of what was a bustling

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austr ...

for a small town.

History

In 1854, five years after the first contingent of Chinese arrived in California to work the gold mines during the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California ...

, a temple was erected in Marysville to serve the immigrant population. The foremost of the gods that are worshiped is Xuan Wu, ( "Dark Warrior" or "Mysterious Warrior"), a

Deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

in Chinese religion believed to govern the northern region and rain, hence its place of reverence at Bok Kai Temple, or northern creek temple. The original temple was destroyed by fire, and was replaced in 1880. The temple remains a primary focus of the present Marysville Chinese community, who have dedicated themselves to preserving the temple.

Current use

The temple is infrequently used as an active place of worship, but is preserved as both a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

and as a protected property on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. A Bok Kai festival and parade is held annually in the spring, during which time the temple is opened for ceremonies as well as for interested parties to tour. Other tours may be arranged by contacting the Temple caretaker. Bok Kai Parade.JPG, The dragon in the parade at the annual Bok Kai festival BokKaiTempleFront.JPG, The front view of the Bok Kai Temple BokKaiTempleGate.JPG, The gate of the Bok Kai Temple from the street BokKaiTempleHisoricalMonumentPlaque.JPG, Bok Kai Temple historical marker plaque Bok Kai Temple, Marysville, March 2022-3395.jpg, Small sedan chair for the Gods Bok Kai Temple, Marysville, March 2022-3391.jpg, Exhibition

References

;Further reading *

External links

Bok Kai Temple
- Friends of the Marysville Bok Kai Temple

- Chinese Community of Marysville, California Buildings and structures in Yuba County, California Chinese-American culture in California Chinese-American history Marysville, California History of Yuba County, California California Historical Landmarks Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Yuba County, California {{YubaCountyCA-NRHP-stub