Ancient Tin Hau Temple - Coloane

The Ancient Temple of Tin Hau in Coloane is the largest and the oldest temple of Coloane. It was built in the 28th year of Qianlong Reign (in 1763, see the ancient bell in the temple), or built in the 16th year of Kangxi Reign (in 1677, see the tablet of the temple inscribed in 1963) as another version says. Judging from the existent cultural relics of the temple, it is doubtless that is the oldest temple of Coloane.

Although the temple has the oldest cultural relics of the islands-ancient bells, the oldest inscribed tablet of the temple was set up only in the 16th year of the Republic of China in (1927).

It is said on the tablet:

"since the year Bing Wu of Daoguang Reign we have been selecting proper places to built an additional temple until the year of Gui Ma …"

from it we can know that it is in the 6th year of Daoguang Reign (the Bing Xu, in 1826) that the temple was moved to this place, but is hard to find out its original location.

Until the 23rd year of Daoguang Reign (the year of Guimao, in 1843) it was rebuilt to be present Temple of Tin Hau. It was built in 1826 and later was rebuilt many times. In fact, from the inscriptions of the existent ancient boards and stone columns of the temple, we can see the records of the reconstruction in the 6th year of Daoguang Reign and in the 26th year of Daoguang Reign.

There are altogether three palaces in the Ancient Temple of Tin Hau: Palace of Tin Hau, House of Du Tian and Palace of Three Divinities.

The Palace of Tin Hau is dedicated to Empress.

The House of Du Tian is dedicated to Lord in charge of Wealth, Ancestral Master Lu Ban and Hua Tuo.

The Palace of Three Divinities is dedicated to Emperor of Gaun Sheng, Commander in chief of Kang Gong and Emperor of Hung Seng.

For the temple has a got a long history and it was repaired many times, though the idols in the temple might br changed. Except the image of Tin Hau of the main palace, the other idols of the side palaces might be arranged in wrong places.

In Coloane, the Ancient Temple of Tin Hau is listed in the first place in Coloane no matter for its scale of construction or for its quantity of idols. Its special constructive style is unique in Coloane.

According to the present archaeological discoveries, Coloane is the place with earliest human activities and inhabitants of the whole Macao. Basing on the ancient boards and stone inscriptions, we can know that in early years the inhabitants here were engaged in shipbuilding, mining, drying salt, fishing, ploughing and etc.

It is for this reason that the temple is dedicated to the Empress of Water, Emperor of Hung Seng and Buddha of Tam Kung; dedicated to the ancestral Master of Lu Ban in chare of building and shipbuilding; dedicated to the Lord in charge of wealth and Emperor of Guansheng; dedicated to Hua Tuo in share of medicine.

There is quadrangle pavilion in the Temple, which is the only one in the temples of Coloane, showing that the temple is a public place. The outlook of the pavilion is worth mentioning. It corresponds to the outlook of Legal Senado of Macao, which was mentioned in the first regional annals of Chronicle of Macao of Qianlong Reign of the Qing Dynasty. It also shows the model of public construction in the middle age of Qing Dynasty.

 

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

 

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