The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple () (also called as the Temple of Green Cloud) is a

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 ''d ...

practising the Three Doctrinal Systems of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

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 ...

and

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...

located at No. 25 Jalan Tokong,

Malacca City Malacca City ( ms, Bandaraya Melaka or ') is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81.p ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It is the oldest functioning temple in the country.

History

The temple site was founded during the era of

Dutch Malacca Dutch Malacca (1641–1825) was the longest period that Malacca was under foreign control. The Dutch ruled for almost 183 years with intermittent British occupation during the Napoleonic Wars (1795–1815). This era saw relative peace with litt ...

by the Chinese Kapitans Tay Kie Ki Tay Hong Yong in 1645. Additional structures were then constructed in 1673 under the leadership of Kapitan Li Wei King Koon Chang with materials imported from China. The temple served as the main place of worship for the local Hoklo (Hokkien) community. Kapitan Chan Ki Lock constructed a main hall for the temple in 1704. In 1801, the temple structures were renovated under the leadership of Kapitan Chua Su Cheong Tok Ping who was the father of Choa Chong Long, the first Kapitan of Singapore, with the addition of additional structures. In 1962, then

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

Seck Kim Seng ordained

Houn Jiyu-Kennett Hōun Jiyu-Kennett ( Japanese: 法雲慈友ケネット, 1 January 1924 – 6 November 1996), born Peggy Teresa Nancy Kennett, was a British roshi most famous for having been the first female to be sanctioned by the Sōtō School of Japa ...

, a

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

nun from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and the future founder of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, at this temple. The temple was awarded a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

award for outstanding architectural restoration in 2003.

Features

The temple is situated close to Jalan Tukang Emas, also known as "Harmony Street" because of its proximity to the Kampung Kling Mosque and Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, covering an area of 4,600 m². Featuring a magnificent main gate along Jalan Tokong, the temple consists of a complex of several prayer halls with a large main prayer hall dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Guan Yin. Additional smaller prayer quarters were added later. One of these is dedicated to the Chinese deities of wealth, longevity and propagation, while another dedicated to ancestral tablets. One of the main features of the temple is the seven-metre red flag-pole facing the left wing of the main prayer hall, which houses the remains of two of the three Kapitans who contributed to the construction of the temple. Across the road is a traditional opera theatre which forms a part of the temple complex. The building conforms to the principles of '' feng shui'' where the complex is laid out to ensure a view of the river and high ground on either side. File:Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.jpg, An inscription in

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji ...

inside the temple. File:Melaka-Qing-Yun-Ting-2149.jpg, Information plate about the temple. File:A stone statue guarding the Cheng Hoon Teng temple.jpg, One of the stone statue guarding the temple. File:Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Roof.jpg, Roofing art. File:2016 Malakka, Świątynia Cheng Hoon Teng (20).jpg, The temple door painting. File:Melaka-Qing-Yun-Ting-2152.jpg, The temple prayer hall.

References

External links

* * {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites 1645 establishments in the Dutch Empire Chinese-Malaysian culture Buddhist temples in Malaysia Confucian temples in Malaysia Taoist temples in Malaysia Religious buildings and structures completed in 1645 Tourist attractions in Malacca Buildings and structures in Malacca City Guanyin temples 17th-century Buddhist temples 17th-century Taoist temples 17th-century Confucian temples

History

Features

See also

References

External links