Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
Encyclopedia
Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is a state park located in the center of the town of Weaverville
, California
. The site is a Taoist temple which is still in use, and is the oldest Chinese temple in California.
In 1989, a box was left at the visitor's center. It contained one of the foo dog
s which had been stolen in the 1934 theft. The state of California commissioned a new pair of dogs to place on display in the temple. The new dogs were created by traditional craftsmen in China
.
Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. The temple's patron saints are Xuan Wu
and Guan Yu
.
, a lion dance
is performed. The dance is also performed on every Fourth of July weekend.
The interior of the temple remains the same as it looked when it was built, although safety railings and electric lights have been added. On the grounds, there is a recently-added parking lot, visitor's center, and reflecting pool. To preserve the exterior of the temple grounds, no incense burning is permitted.
The temple is located at the Southwest corner of Highway 299 and Oregon Street in Weaverville.
Weaverville, California
Weaverville is a census-designated place and the county seat of Trinity County, California. The population was 3,600 at the 2010 census, up from 3,554 at the 2000 census.-History:Founded in 1850, Weaverville is a historic California Gold Rush town...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The site is a Taoist temple which is still in use, and is the oldest Chinese temple in California.
History
The current building, called The Temple among the Trees Beneath the Clouds (雲林廟), was built in 1874 to replace earlier structures which had been destroyed by fires. In 1934, much of the material in the building was taken during a robbery. The state decided that, in order to protect the historic nature of the material, a local resident, Moon Lim Lee, would be named trustee for the site. In 1956, the site officially became a state historic site.In 1989, a box was left at the visitor's center. It contained one of the foo dog
Chinese guardian lions
Chinese guardian lions, known as Shishi lions or Imperial guardian lion, and often incorrectly called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China...
s which had been stolen in the 1934 theft. The state of California commissioned a new pair of dogs to place on display in the temple. The new dogs were created by traditional craftsmen in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. The temple's patron saints are Xuan Wu
Xuan Wu (god)
Xuan Wu , posthumously known as The Dark/Mysterious Heavenly Upper Emperor , as well as True Warrior Grand Emperor , and commonly known as The Northern Emperor or Emperor Lord or Teh Kong in Hokkien...
and Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
.
Current temple
Each year, to celebrate the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
, a lion dance
Lion dance
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
is performed. The dance is also performed on every Fourth of July weekend.
The interior of the temple remains the same as it looked when it was built, although safety railings and electric lights have been added. On the grounds, there is a recently-added parking lot, visitor's center, and reflecting pool. To preserve the exterior of the temple grounds, no incense burning is permitted.
The temple is located at the Southwest corner of Highway 299 and Oregon Street in Weaverville.