Thean Hou temple is quite new, completed in 1987 and officially opened in 1989. This temple belongs to the Selangor & Federal Territory Hainan Association and is operated. Hainan in China. The temple was built by the local Hainan community and dedicated to the goddess heaven or heavenly mother.
Near the outside entrance is the white statue of the famous goddess of mercy, Kannon Y. There is a place for enthusiasts to kneel down to touch the water flowing out of Kwan-in's magic pitcher. You may see believers trying to splash themselves with holy water.
Next to it is a smiling old man who has a book and staff. He is the Chinese marriage god, or Chinese Cupid if you prefer. This celestial matchmaker is called Yue Sha Lao Leng and is called "the old man under the moonlight". Instead of using cupid-like arrows, he uses a red thread tied to male and female feet. In fact, the red bag on the left is his red thread bag. The book he has is a book of destiny. Lists who you meet and when you get married. This god is very popular with young people and often offers candy and chocolate in exchange for the perfect match.
In the small garden on the left is a statue of a zodiac animal. There are mice, cows, tigers, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, lamb, monkeys, roosters, dogs, and pigs. Like the western zodiac, the Chinese believe that people born under certain years will take over the animal personality. However, the lunar calendar starts with the Lunar New Year and is usually January or February. Therefore, if you are born in the first year or February, depending on which year your zodiac signs may precede it. The best way to find your zodiac is to browse the Chinese calendar to check out from the internet. According to Buddhist legend, Lord Buddha called all the animals of the earth to say goodbye, but only 12 animals appeared. To reward them, the Buddha named them every year according to the order in which they arrived-starting with rats and ending with pigs.
The front entrance arch of Thean Hou temple is a spectacular sight. Above is a red sign with Chinese calligraphy. Unlike English, Chinese words are read from right to left and from top to bottom. The three words are read as “Tian Hou Gong”. This is the "& # 39; Queen Palace of Heaven & # 39 ;. By looking carefully at the small letters on both sides of the word, you can see the name of the writer and when it was written. In Chinese calligraphy, writing is writing Not only that, it's an artistic skill, every sentence is a work of art, in fact, it is said that the writer's personality is reflected in his writing. They are too poetic and untranslatable, but very broadly urged to admire the humility of the king of heaven, and to keep everyone in honor with his name. The pillars represent the tenderness of the queen of heaven, who is always there when she protects suffering and is in danger.This type of greeting is important in Chinese architecture and each temple has its own There is a greeting, to other Chinese temples If there is a chance that, please ask them to translate the words of these wisdom to the local people.
When you go up the stairs, you will find a large courtyard surrounded by red pillars on all sides. A very unique feature of Chinese architecture is the open space concept. Many courtyards internal The building as opposed to the outside. This is a very typical feature of Chinese architecture, and many temples are built this way. The courtyard is surrounded by several connected pavilions. This is often known as an “empty well”. Because the roof forms a small opening to the sky. Building width is more important than height and depth and has a visual impact on building width. Here, the red color symbolizing prosperity and good luck is used very freely. The magnificent orange and green roofs with intricate carvings and magnificent decorations are lined with several small objects on the corners of the curved roof.
There are many statues of dragons and phoenix. Phoenix is usually paired with dragons that symbolize Yin and Yang. The general description of Phoenix is that there are pheasant heads, parrot beaks, mandarin duck trunks, wings, peacock feathers, and crane feet. Phoenix is a symbol of virtue and grace, power and prosperity. It is said to be a gentle creature. It ’s gentle enough to eat only dew without crushing your feet. It usually represents the female part of Yin and Yang, and in ancient times, only the Chinese empress can use Phoenix as her symbol. After Phoenix, there is also a white vine, the most important bird in Chinese culture. The crane is considered immortal and therefore symbolizes life.
Nearby is a sculpted gray pillar with a dragon swirling towards heaven. In the West, dragons are considered evil, but Chinese dragons represent power and potency and control over water. In Yin Yang terms, a dragon is a yang or a man. Phoenix is a shade or a woman. Dragons have their own hierarchy and count the number of claws to know the location of the dragon. The highest rank is a 5 claw dragon, followed by a 4 claw and a 3 claw dragon. The five-claw dragon is considered an imperial dragon in China, so the farther away from China, the fewer the dragons. That is why Korean dragons have 4 claws and Japanese dragons have 3 claws. Also, since Malaysia is considered a tributary of China, only 4 claws can be used for a dragon. In ancient times, improper use of the number of nails was considered treason, and the entire criminal criminal clan could be executed.
There are three huge statues in the main hall. At first glance it may look very similar, but if you look closely you can see that they are different.
On the left is the waterfront goddess. According to legend, one day, a fisherman caught a driftwood on a net on Hainan Island in southern China. He took it back and strange things began to happen. Driftwood turns into a young girl every sunset. Her face shines with an expression of mercy. Soon, the fishermen decided to build a temple around driftwood. But he couldn't determine the best place to build it. When the villagers turned to heaven for a hint, the boy suddenly ran to another village 8 miles away from the crowd. The boy then pointed to the waterfront of Cheonlan Port and they finally found the temple.
The central goddess is zu, the sea goddess who protects sailors and fishermen. She is widely admired in the coastal areas of China and Southeast Asia where many communities of sailors live. According to legend, she was a real person born in 960 as a girl called Hayashi Mon. She did not cry when she was born. Therefore her name means "silent girl". She had many relationships with the sea. One story tells that she is wearing a red dress standing on the shore during harsh weather to guide the fishing boat home. Another story told her that she had a dream about a fisherman, both her father and brother, during a thunderstorm. But her mother woke up at the very moment she rescued her brother in a dream. As a result, only her father came home. There are also many legends about her being able to accurately predict the weather, which prevented many fishermen from dring. At the age of 28, she climbed a mountain and flew to heaven, becoming the name of this temple, the queen of heaven, or Theanhou. Even now, about two hours away from the sea, Hainan built this temple in honor of her to take care of her community. After her death, there were countless reports of strange girls carrying red lanterns to guide the ship home in stormy weather. Today, UNESCO has designated Mazu's faith as a “human intangible cultural heritage”.
The last goddess is the goddess Kwan-in, or the goddess commonly known as the goddess of mercy. The name Kuan Yin is an abbreviation for Kuan Shiryin, meaning "listening to the cry of the world". The history of Kannon, which is highly appreciated by Buddhists, is long and complex. Kuan Yin's story has been worshiped in Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan, and has many connections with Taoism, Buddhism and Chinese culture. There are hundreds of stories about Kannon, from the healing of the sick to saving Dragon King's son, saving animals, and protecting crops.
In the center area of the hole are some cylindrical objects with red knobs and a bunch of sticks. They are & # 39; kau chim & # 39 ;. Oracle, or Chinese fortune stick in English. Many Chinese use these horoscopes to predict the fate of next year. First, shuffle the stick while clearing your heart. Then grab the entire stick bundle and lift it back into the container. Look for one stick that sticks out. If some sticks stick out, try again until one stick sticks out of the bundle. Then look at the number on the stick and find that number in the appropriate drawer. Each drawer contains a piece of paper that contains the fortune of the year. That is your fate for the year. Hope it is full of prosperity or, as the Chinese say, & # 39; fook & # 39 ;. Even if you don't believe it, it's fun.
On the balcony you can enjoy a wonderful view of the temple. At the ends of the balcony are made up of several small objects, such as an old man sitting on a fish, followed by three mythical Chinese animals. The old man is Eta Gong, a historical figure and a highly respected military strategist. In one story, he was fishing for three days and three nights, but was useless. Finally, when he caught the fish and cut the belly of the fish, he found a cloth that he predicted would someday become a great military strategist. There is a popular story that instead of submerging him in the water, he has a bamboo stick with a hook hanging over the water. His reason was that the fish would come to him when ready. This act stimulated the Chinese idea that good things would come to those who were waiting. Therefore, he is often described as sitting on a fish.
The second mythical animal is The, which is said to bring silence whenever it arrives. Often mistakenly called Chinese unicorn. An il is a calm creature that can walk on the grass without stepping on its blades, but spews fire when faced with an evil man.
The third mythical animal is a Chinese rooster that has a bird's body and has goat's feet with fish-like scales. And the fourth is the famous Chinese lion, which has protection. They usually stand at the Imperial Palace or temple gates.
When you return to the main hall, there is a staircase on the left that leads to the turtle pond. Turtles are one of four celestial emblems, along with dragons, phoenixes and white tigers that protect the constellation. The turtle protects the north, the phoenix protects the south, the dragon protects the east, and the white tiger protects the west. Of these four animals, turtles are real animals, so here you can see many of them in the turtle pond.
There is also an interesting shop on the ground floor where tourists sell religious items to buy souvenirs.
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