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Kwan Tai Ancient Temple

Kwan Tai Ancient Temple

Guild of Three Streets (Kwan Tai Ancient Temple)

Guildhall of Three Streets, also named Mou Tai Temple. In the temple there is a tablet about the Reconstruction of Guildhall of Three Streets, erected in the 57th year of Qianlong Reign (1792). However, it is hard now to proceed textual research on the destroyed tablet.

Located in the traditional commercial centre of Macao, the Guildhall of Three Street (Rua dos Mercadores, Rua das Estalagens, Rua dos Ervanarios) was once an official place for merchants in the Qing Dynasty, which was also an important place where magistrate of Country Xiangshan in charge of Macao published bulletin in the Qing Dynasty.

In the Temple, there are Mou Tai Hall, Tai Soi Hall, Hall of God of Wealth and Hall of God of Earth, dedicated to Kwan Tai, God of Wealth, Tai Soi, God of Earth, Honourable Man and Fortunate Horse, and Marshal Zhao with Crouching Tiger.

There are couplets on the gate: “Dragons and phoenix dance around the axis of the Earth; clouds and flying algae shine the whole wall” The Guildhall of Three Street developed from a public place to a temple.

Pao Gong Temple and Nam San Temple

Constructed in the 15th year of Guangxu Reign (1889), the Pao Gung Temple was built to drive away disease that was widely spread in the 14th year of Guangxu Reign. There are couplets on the gate: “With distinguished achievements recorded in annals of history, the upright minister has a liberal mind like the Yellow River.”

Nam Sam Temple was constructed next to the Pao Gong Temple.

In the Tai Soi Temple, there are Mansion of Pao Gong, Mansion of Marshall Zhao and Hall of God of Wealth, dedicated to Pao Gong, Marshal Zhao with crouching Tiger, Tangsanzang, Immortal Zhu, God of Wealth, Goddess Kam Fa, Goddess Dou Mou, Tai Soi, Prince Na Tcha, Tower King Li and Taoist Chung Kuei.

Temple of Divinity of Medicine

Located near to Pao Gong Temple, the temple of Divinity of Medicine, also called Temple of Sleeping Buddha, was constructed in the 19th year of Guangxu Reign (1893). There are couplets on the gate: “Virtue shines the universe and relates the past and the present; divinity is shown to the sea and the island and benefits both Chinese and foreign nationalities.

In the temple are Tai Soi Hall, Ji Gong Hall, Hall of God of Earth, Hall of Sleeping Buddha and Hall of Master Zhang, dedicated to Tai So, Ji Gon, God of Hell, God of Earth, Goddess of Pollen, God of five Powers, Sleeping Buddha and Master Zhang.

(Excertps from: Macau Temples by Chan, Lei and Chendra published by IACM SAR 2002). Back to Macau Temples

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