The Tin How Temple (also spelled Tianhou Temple, ) is the oldest extant
Taoist temple in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
's
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 ...
, and one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States.
It is dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. ...
, who is known as ''Tin How'' (天后, Empress of Heavens) in
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
.
History
The temple was founded in 1852, reportedly at its current location by Day Ju, one of the first Chinese persons to arrive in San Francisco.
The building was later destroyed in the
1906 earthquake and fire, with the image of the goddess, the temple bell, and part of the altar surviving.
By then, ownership of the building site had transitioned to the Sue Hing
Benevolent Association,
which reopened it in 1910 on the top floor of a four-story building it built on the site.
The temple closed in 1955 and reopened on May 4, 1975,
after the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act and more recently as the 1965 Immigration Act, is a federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The la ...
had caused a rejuvenation of San Francisco's Chinatown.
In May 2010, the one-hundredth anniversary of the temple was celebrated by a religious procession through the streets in the neighborhood, including dances and fireworks. The temple is a significant landmark in Chinatown; the Chinese name for Waverly Place is .
Visiting
The temple is open daily between 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., excepting holidays.
Admission is free with permission from the attendant, and donations are accepted. Photography is not allowed inside the temple.
See also
Although both temples are dedicated to
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. ...
, the Tin How Temple is not to be confused with the "
Ma-Tsu Temple of U.S.A." two blocks north of it, which was founded in 1986 with affiliation to the
Chaotian Temple
The Chaotian or Chaotien Temple, officially the Chao-Tian Temple,. & is a temple to the Chinese Goddess Mazu in Beigang Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. Constructed in 1700, it became one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan and is kn ...
in Taiwan. There is also another temple that is dedicated to Mazu in Los Angeles's Chinatown which is known as
Thien Hau Temple (Los Angeles).
Other Notable Chinese temples
*
Temple of Kwan Tai
The Temple of Kwan Tai (; Yale: ''Móuhdai Míu'', also known as the Mendocino Joss House or Mo Dai Miu) is a Chinese Taoist temple in Mendocino, California, dedicated to Kwan Tai. It is California Historical Landmark #927.
The temple was cons ...
(武帝廟) located in Mendocino, California
*
Bok Kai Temple
The Bok Kai Temple () is a traditional Chinese temple in the city of Marysville, California, located at the corner of D and First Streets, and served as the center of what was a bustling Chinatown for a small town.
History
In 1854, five years aft ...
(北溪廟) located in the city of Marysville, California
*
Kong Chow Temple
Kong Chow Temple () is a temple dedicated to Guan Di, located in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, California, in the United States.
History
The temple was founded, in 1849, by members of the Cantonese population of San Francisco. In ...
(岡州古廟) located in San Francisco, California
*
Weaverville Joss House (雲林廟), located in the center of the town of Weaverville, California
Gallery
File:San Francisco - Waverly.jpg, Tin How Temple (left building, top floor)
File:Chinatown 21 (4253556647).jpg, View of Transamerica Pyramid
The Transamerica Pyramid is a 48-story futurist skyscraper in San Francisco, California, United States, and the second tallest building in the San Francisco skyline. Located at 600 Montgomery Street between Clay and Washington Streets in the c ...
, Embarcadero Center
Embarcadero Center is a commercial complex of five office towers, two hotels, a shopping center with more than 125 stores, bars, and restaurants, and a fitness center on three levels located in San Francisco, California. There is an outdoor ice sk ...
, and Hilton San Francisco Financial District from temple balcony
File:Chinatown 22 Buddhist Temple (4254271566).jpg, Jingxiang
Jìngxiāng (敬香 "offering incense with respect"), shàngxiāng (上香 "offering incense"), bàishén (拜神 "worshipping the Gods"), is a ritual of offering incense accompanied by tea and or fruits in Chinese traditional religion. In an ...
temple altar
File:Chinatown 23 Buddhist Temple (4253514495).jpg, Devotee lanterns; donor names are written on red paper and attached to the lanterns
References
External links
Tin How Templeat chinatownology.com
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{{Chinatown, San Francisco
Chinatown, San Francisco
Religious buildings and structures in San Francisco
Taiwanese-American culture in California
Taoist temples in the United States
Temples in California