The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple () (also called as the Temple of Green Cloud) is a

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 ''d ...

practising the Three Doctrinal Systems of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

and

Taoism 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 '' Ta ...

located at No. 25 Jalan Tokong, Malacca City,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. It is the oldest functioning temple in the country.

History

The temple site was founded during the era of

Dutch Malacca Dutch Malacca (1641–1825) was the longest period that Malacca was under foreign control. The Dutch ruled for almost 183 years with intermittent British occupation during the Napoleonic Wars (1795–1815). This era saw relative peace with litt ...

by the Chinese Kapitans Tay Kie Ki Tay Hong Yong in 1645. Additional structures were then constructed in 1673 under the leadership of Kapitan Li Wei King Koon Chang with materials imported from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. The temple served as the main

place of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

for the local

Hoklo The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such a ...

(Hokkien) community. Kapitan Chan Ki Lock constructed a main hall for the temple in 1704. In 1801, the temple structures were renovated under the leadership of Kapitan Chua Su Cheong Tok Ping who was the father of

Choa Chong Long Choa Chong Long (; 1788-1838) was a Chinese prominent magnate, revenue farmer and pioneering colonist who served as the first Kapitan Cina of Singapore under the British colonial government. He was the son of Choa Su Cheong, who was the ''Kapi ...

, the first Kapitan of Singapore, with the addition of additional structures. In 1962, then

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

Seck Kim Seng ordained

Houn Jiyu-Kennett Hōun Jiyu-Kennett ( Japanese: 法雲慈友ケネット, 1 January 1924 – 6 November 1996), born Peggy Teresa Nancy Kennett, was a British roshi most famous for having been the first female to be sanctioned by the Sōtō School of Japa ...

, a

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

nun from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and the future founder of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, at this temple. The temple was awarded a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

award for outstanding architectural restoration in 2003.

Features

The temple is situated close to Jalan Tukang Emas, also known as "Harmony Street" because of its proximity to the

Kampung Kling Mosque Kampong Kling Mosque (sometimes also spelt ''Kampong Keling Mosque''; ms, Masjid Kampung Kling; Jawi: مسجد كامڤوڠ كليڠ) is an old mosque in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia. It is situated at Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith Stree ...

and

Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple is the oldest existing/intact Hindu temple in Malaysia and one of the oldest functioning Hindu temples in Maritime Southeast Asia. Located in the state of Malacca, the temple is one of the few existing Chitty temples ...

, covering an area of 4,600 m². Featuring a magnificent main gate along Jalan Tokong, the temple consists of a complex of several prayer halls with a large main prayer hall dedicated to the goddess of mercy,

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...

. Additional smaller prayer quarters were added later. One of these is dedicated to the Chinese deities of wealth, longevity and propagation, while another dedicated to

ancestral tablets A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in tra ...

. One of the main features of the temple is the seven-metre red flag-pole facing the left wing of the main prayer hall, which houses the remains of two of the three Kapitans who contributed to the construction of the temple. Across the road is a traditional opera theatre which forms a part of the temple complex. The building conforms to the principles of '' feng shui'' where the complex is laid out to ensure a view of the river and high ground on either side. File:Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.jpg, An inscription in

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji ...

inside the temple. File:Melaka-Qing-Yun-Ting-2149.jpg, Information plate about the temple. File:A stone statue guarding the Cheng Hoon Teng temple.jpg, One of the stone statue guarding the temple. File:Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Roof.jpg, Roofing art. File:2016 Malakka, Świątynia Cheng Hoon Teng (20).jpg, The temple door painting. File:Melaka-Qing-Yun-Ting-2152.jpg, The temple prayer hall.

References

External links

* * {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites 1645 establishments in the Dutch Empire Chinese-Malaysian culture Buddhist temples in Malaysia Confucian temples in Malaysia Taoist temples in Malaysia Religious buildings and structures completed in 1645 Tourist attractions in Malacca Buildings and structures in Malacca City Guanyin temples 17th-century Buddhist temples 17th-century Taoist temples 17th-century Confucian temples

History

Features

See also

References

External links