Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
located in the center of the town of
Weaverville,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The site is a
Taoist
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 ''Tao'' ...
temple which is still in use, and is the oldest
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 California.
History
The original temple was built by Chinese goldminers during California's
1849 gold rush.
The current building, called The Temple among the Trees Beneath the Clouds (雲林廟), was built in 1874 to replace earlier structures which had been destroyed by fires. In 1934, much of the material in the building was taken during a robbery. The state decided that, in order to protect the historic nature of the material, a local resident, Moon Lim Lee, would be named trustee for the site. In 1956, the site officially became a state historic site.
In 1989, a box was left at the visitor's center. It contained one of the
Chinese Guardian Lion
Chinese guardian lions, or imperial guardian lions, are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament, but the origins lie deep in much older Indian Buddhist traditions. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi (). ...
s which had been stolen in the 1934 theft. The state of California commissioned a new pair of dogs to place on display in the temple. The new dogs were created by traditional craftsmen in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854
Tong War
The Tong Wars were a series of violent disputes beginning in the late 19th century among rival Chinese Tong factions centered in the Chinatowns of various American cities, in particular San Francisco. Tong wars could be triggered by a variety o ...
. The temple's patron saints are
Xuantian Shangdi
Xuanwu () or Xuandi (), also known as Zhenwu (, ) or Zhenwudadi (, ), is a powerful deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magic ...
and
Guan Di
Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...
.
Current temple
Each year, to celebrate the
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
, a
lion dance F
Lion dance () is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New ...
is performed. The dance is also performed on every
Fourth of July
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
weekend.
The interior of the temple remains the same as it looked when it was built, although safety railings and electric lights have been added. On the grounds, there is a recently added parking lot, visitor's center, and reflecting pool. Worship is still practiced at the temple but to preserve the exterior of the temple grounds, no incense burning is permitted.
The temple is located at the southwest corner of
Main Street (California State Route 299) and Oregon Street in Weaverville.
See also
*
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 18 ...
(岡州古廟) located in San Francisco, California
*
Tin How Temple
The Tin How Temple (also spelled Tianhou Temple, ) is the oldest extant Taoist temple in San Francisco's Chinatown, and one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States. It is dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, who ...
(天后古廟) in San Francisco's Chinatown, California
*
Oroville Chinese Temple
The Oroville Chinese Temple (列聖宮) is a Chinese folk religious temple built in 1863 in Oroville, California. The temple is now owned by the City of Oroville and open to the public as a museum, and it also continues to be used occasionally for ...
(列聖宮) located in Oroville, California
*
Ma-Tsu Temple (美國舊金山媽祖廟朝聖宮) in San Francisco's Chinatown, California
*
Thien Hau Temple (天后宮) located in Los Angeles's Chinatown in California
*
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 ...
*
California Historical Landmarks in Trinity County, California
This list includes properties and districts listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in Trinity County, California. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude ...
References
External links
Weaverville Joss House Association (state of California official website)state of California official websiteVideo of the 2010 Lion Dance (official city of Weaverville video)
California State Historic Parks
Joss House
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 '' ...
Chinese-American culture in California
Chinese-American museums in California
Parks in Trinity County, California
Museums in Trinity County, California
Taoist temples in the United States
California Historical Landmarks
History of Trinity County, California
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1874
Protected areas established in 1956
1956 establishments in California
Temples in California
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