Tin How Temple | |
---|---|
天后古廟 | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Taoism |
District | Chinatown |
Location | |
Location | 125 Waverly Pl |
Municipality | San Francisco |
State | California |
Country | USA |
Geographic coordinates | 37°47′40″N 122°24′26″W / 37.79457°N 122.40710°W |
The Tin How Temple (also spelled Tianhou Temple, simplified Chinese: 天后古庙; traditional Chinese: 天后古廟; pinyin: Tiānhòu gǔ miào) is the oldest extant Taoist temple in San Francisco's Chinatown, and one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States.[1] It is dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, who is known as Tin How (天后, Empress of Heavens) in Cantonese.[2]
The temple was purportedly founded in roughly 1852 or 1853,[3] reportedly at its current location by Day Ju, one of the first Chinese people to arrive in San Francisco.[4] 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.[1] By then, ownership of the building site had transitioned to the Sue Hing Benevolent Association,[5] which reopened it in 1910 on the top floor of a four-story building it built on the site.[1] The temple closed in 1955 and reopened on May 4, 1975,[2] after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 had caused a rejuvenation of San Francisco's Chinatown.[1]
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 天后庙街; 天后廟街; Tiānhòu miào jiē; 'Tin How Temple Street'.[2]
The temple is open daily between 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., excepting holidays.[6] Admission is free with permission from the attendant, and donations are accepted. Photography is not allowed inside the temple.[4]