Photographs of the Emmaville temple’s façade and interior

TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TRANSLATIONS

1. Centre of the fascia board

聖壽無疆

Eternal Life Be Thine/Yours

2a, 2b, 2c. Above-door plaque

光緒十二年季冬穀旦

列聖宮

沐 恩庇下李☐敬送

順德黎☐☐敬書

House(s) of Saints

[or]

House(s) of Holy Ones

Respectfully given by Thy/Your favoured follower Lee … on an auspicious day in the last Winter month of the twelfth year of Kuang Hsü Era.

Respectfully written by Lai … of Shun Tak.

3. Horizontal ceiling plaque visible immediately within the doorway in the photograph of the façade

☐德群生

… Providence to All Living Things

4a, 4b, 5a, 5b. Door-side couplet boards (right then left)

光緒歲次丙戌年季冬吉旦

列聖普仁慈同欣福蔭

群生沾德澤共仰恩㴠

沐 恩弟子李澤☐合記號仝敬送

Spread wide Your kindness and benevolence, O Holy Ones, that we may delight in Your propitious providence;

Bathe in Your sea of virtue all living things, and they will revere Your nurturing grace.

Respectfully given by Thy/Your favoured followers Lee Jack … and Hop Kee on an auspicious day in the last Winter month of the twelfth year of the Kuang Hsü Era, which is the sexagenary year IIIxi.

6a, 6b, 6c, 7. Column couplet and associated text (right column visible in interior photograph and left column visible through doorway in the photograph of the façade)

⋯⋯季冬穀旦

⋯⋯流普濟群生有喜

信士巫贊勛敬書

⋯⋯大地長庥

… give universal succour, that all living things may delight;

…, that the earth be ever sheltered.

Respectfully written by devotee Mo Tsan Fan, 

… on an auspicious day in the last Winter month …

8. Lower couplet line at left

神靈香炷祥和氣像接遙天

Godly providence manifest, fragrant incense aglow, an atmosphere of harmony and good promise reach to the height of this far-flung sky.

9a, 9b. Upper horizontal plaque

☐流海國

⋯⋯

… the Sea Countries.

…

10. Lower horizontal plaque

☐庇民安

… Protect the People.

11. Lantern to the right of front column

⋯⋯宮

House(s) …

This is a continually evolving website, and more information about these photographs will be published as further research is conducted.