A cymbal, which would have been one of a pair, sold by the 長珍 “Cheung Chan” firm. LOCATION Wing Hing Long Museum, Tingha TRANSCRIPTIONS Cymbal 2 – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_6278, 13.4.21) Convex surface of cymbal 東長珍 Cymbal 2 – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_6340, 13.4.21) Concave surface of dome of cymbal Brush-written text 花☐士 足〢 Blue text ☐大士 WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED? The answer to this question is not yet known. SUMMARY The large-character inscription on the cymbal’s convex surface suggest that the seller was a firm named 長珍 “Cheung Chan”. At least one of a pair of cymbals in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 89.4.12; The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889), which bear a close resemblance to this cymbal, has a similar firm name—長友 “Cheung Yau”—emblazoned, also in large vertical left-aligned characters, on its convex surface: see https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/180012327 The brush-written ligature at left within the concave surface of the dome of cymbal...Read More
This set of six placards was originally displayed in the 1883 Howell Road temple in Tingha, and may have been used for processions. LOCATION McCrossin’s Mill Museum, Uralla Processional placard 1 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4533, 15.7.19) Processional placard 3 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4565, 15.7.19) Processional placard 4 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4563, 15.7.19) Processional placard 2 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4538, 15.7.19) Processional placard 5 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4529, 15.7.19) Processional placard 6 – at McCrossin’s Mill (IMG_4531, 15.7.19) The evidence (see Dating the Placards below) indicates that this set of six placards was originally used in the 1883 Howell Road temple in Tingha. Traditionally such placards are carried on procession through the streets during religious festivals, although it’s not known if they were ever used for this purpose in Tingha. They would have been displayed in the temple, though, ranged along the interior side walls of the deity’s hall. The top of each placard is styled in the shape...Read More
The inscription on this plaque is a list of 155 names. The matching design of this plaque, which we have called Names Plaque Dated 1866, indicates that it forms a pair with Donation Plaque Dated 1866. LOCATION Inverell Pioneer Village Name plaque dated 1866 (IMG_6881, 16.4.21) Because Names Plaque Dated 1866 likely forms a pair with Donation Plaque Dated 1866, the names on Names Plaque Dated 1866 are therefore probably those of the “followers” and members of the “Yeung Fook Tong” society named in Donation Plaque Dated 1866’s inscription, who are given to have collectively donated one or more door-like screens and entrance adornments, including the “Yeung Fook Tong” Entrance Adornment. Both plaques are believed to have been purchased by Inverell Pioneer Village from an auction of temple items in Tingha in 1978. As Tingha was not established until 1872, the date of these plaques of 1866 indicates that they come from a Rocky River temple dated 1866, for which...Read More
This bell, bearing the date of 1883–84, is a typical temple bell. It would be struck to call the attention of the deity (or deities) in the temple. LOCATION McCrossin’s Mill Museum, Uralla Temple bell 1883-4 (IMG_4518, 15.7.19) Temple bell 1883-4 (IMG_4519, 15.7.19) Temple bell 1883-4 (IMG_4520, 15.7.19) Temple bell 1883-4 (IMG_4514, 15.7.19) Bearing the date of 1883–84, the bell is likely to have been used in the 1883 Howell Road temple in Tingha. This is the only temple in New England which is known to have opened in 1883–84. TEXT ON BELL The deity 大王宮 House of the Great King The large-character inscription on the bell, “House of the Great King”, indicates dedication to either 洪聖大王 “Great King Hung Shing”, who is the god of the Southern Ocean, or a deity known as 大王爺 “Tai Wong Ye”. The word “House” in the inscription would usually be understood as a reference to a temple, but in this case it may refer instead to a room,...Read More
觀音 “Kwun Yam”, the Chinese goddess of mercy, is a Buddhist deity. But, on account of its syncretic nature, s/he (he originally, she later, in China) is also venerated in Chinese folk religion. LOCATION Wing Hing Long Museum, Tingha “Kwun Yam Den” altar censer – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_4126, 14.7.19) TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION 觀音殿 Hall of Avalokitasvara. WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED? A 1928 newspaper article, which contains a description of Tingha’s two joss houses, indicates that the larger temple (presumably Amethyst Street’s mystery Tiengha Joss House or its masonic lodge, which might have been one and the same) comprised two rooms, while the smaller (presumably the Let Sun Den temple) comprised only one room. However, over its history there may have been four buildings in Tingha referred to either consistently or from time to time as “joss houses”: (1) a building at the northern end of Amethyst Street, adjacent to a wooden bridge over Cope’s Creek; (2) a building on the high...Read More
Sudhana Kumāra (a.k.a. Sun Chai) is an acolyte of Avalokitasvara (a.k.a. Kwun Yam; the Chinese goddess of mercy). Though the inscription on this plaque names the Hall of Sun Chai, it is not known from which temple it came. LOCATION This plaque is held in a private collection. Sudhana Kumāra plaque – in private collection (photo courtesy Janis Wilton) TRANSCRIPTION 善財童子殿 沐恩弟子 鄭☐ 鄭☐ 敬送 TRANSLATION Hall of Sudhana Kumāra. Respectfully given by Thy favoured followers Cheng … and Cheng … WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED? The answer to this question is not yet known. The given names of its donors are not readable in the image, but their surname is 鄭 “Cheng”. This same surname is predominant amongst the donors to Tingha’s 1883 Howell Road temple who are identified elsewhere on this website. However, the reference in the primary inscription to a hall dedicated to this deity appears to be inconsistent with the fact that Tingha’s 1883 Howell Road temple only comprised two rooms. A hall dedicated to Sudhana...Read More
Originally believed to be from the 1866 Rocky River temple, this table was likely moved to the 1883 Howell Road Temple at Tingha. In recent years, prior to being donated to the Wing Hing Long Museum, the original table was cut down and rearranged to make a cabinet, which is the current form of the table. LOCATION Wing Hing Long Museum, Tingha Current cabinet Altar table dated 1866 – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_6386, 13.4.21) Photograph from 1901 Main altar in the “Joss House, Tingha”, printed in The Sydney Mail, 3 August 1901 Photomontage reconstruction of the original altar table from which the current cabinet is formed Diagram showing how the altar table facade, which is in the 1901 photograph of the Howell Rd temple in Tingha, was cut down and rearranged to make the doors of the cabinet now in the Wing Hing Long collection. Photographs of panels that bear inscriptions IMG_4153 IMG_4154 TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TRANSLATIONS 1. Decorative...Read More
This entrance adornment—or 彩門 “choy-moon”—is likely the one referenced by the Donation plaque dated 1866, and so would have hung either just inside, or just outside, the entrance of the 1866 Rocky River temple. LOCATION Wing Hing Long Museum, Tingha “Yeung Fook Tong” entrance adornment – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_6342, 13.4.21) Detail from the top of the entrance adornment, showing the words “Yeung Fook Tong” (IMG_4145, 14.7.19) TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION 仰福堂 Yeung Fook Tong NOTES This would appear to be the very early entrance adornment—or 彩門 “choy-moon”—referenced by the Donation plaque dated 1866 and associated with the list of what are presumably donor names on the Names plaque dated 1866. For commentary on the significance of the characters “Yeung Fook Tong”, and on this and other “choy-moon” or “entrance adornments”, see the relevant notes in the post for the Donation Plaque dated 1866. This is a continually evolving website, and more information about this object will be published as further research is...Read More
This would have been one of a set of probably eight staffs, which would have been displayed at the 1883 Howell Rd temple in Tingha. This staff, along with Processional staff 2, are the only ones from this set still known to exist. LOCATION Wing Hing Long Museum, Tingha Processional staff 1 – at Wing Hing Long Museum (IMG_6247, 13.4.21) IMG_4160 IMG_4161 TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION 光緒九年仲春吉旦 沐 恩弟子梁苟仝敬送 Respectfully and conjointly given by Thy/Your favoured follower Leung Kau on an auspicious day in the second Spring month of the ninth year of the Kuang Hsü Era. WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED? This object, and the matching entitled “Processional staff 2”, are inscribed with a date that corresponds to 1883. Accordingly, the hypothesis is that they come from Tingha’s lavish 1883 temple. NOTES 仝 “conjointly”: This object forms a pair with “Processional staff 2”, which was donated by a certain 梁國 “Leung Kwok”. The word 仝 “conjointly” in the inscription presumably references the fact that the...Read More
A Chinese-temple donation inscription that is couched as an address to that temple’s deity or deities, as is customary with such inscriptions. LOCATION Inverell Pioneer Village Donation plaque dated 1866 – at Inverell Pioneer Village (IMG_6880, 16.4.21) TRANSCRIPTIONS Regular-script transcription that retains variant character forms and original format Regular-script transcription that employs standard character forms and a rearranged format 同治五年歲次丙寅孟冬吉旦 沐 恩弟子仰福堂敬送彩門企陽 TRANSLATION Entrance adornment(s) and door-like screen(s) respectfully given by Thy/Your favoured followers’ Yeung Fook Tong, on an Auspicious Day in the First Winter Month of the Fifth Year of the T῾ung-chi Era, which is the sexagenary year IIIiii. WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED? This plaque and the matching “Name plaque dated 1866” are believed to have been made for a temple that opened that year in Rocky River. NOTES: Overview: This text is a Chinese-temple donation inscription that is couched as an address to that temple’s deity or deities, as is customary with such inscriptions. The romanisation “Yeung...Read More
