Kun Iam Temple in Macau
One of Macau's Main Attractions is this Magnificent Buddhist Shrine
Oct 25, 2008
Macau may have been a Portuguese colony for four and a half centuries, and it may be covered with historic churches, but it is still a Chinese city. Just under ten percent of Macau's population considers itself Christian in some form, and the city's history and heritage is firmly rooted in the mix of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism that is typical of Chinese society.
Macau has a variety of temples worth seeing if you have more than a day or so to spend in the city. A-Ma and Kun Iam temples predate the arrival of the Portuguese; Lin Fung Temple was originally built in 1592.
Macau's Oldest Temple
The Kun Iam Temple is the oldest organized temple in Macau, originating in the 1400's. The current temple buildings date to a reconstruction that was undertaken in 1627. It is perhaps the most impressive of Macau's three old temples. It is architecturally Buddhist.
A statue of Kun Iam (the Chinese Goddess of Mercy) adorns the main hall; she is attired in embroidered silk and wears a crown. Her 18 wise men stand close by, and because their appearance is somewhat Western there is speculation that they are modeled on Marco Polo.
Temple Ground
Kun Iam Hall is the most important hall of the temple. But there are three main halls at the temple. The Hall of the Three Precious Buddhas, the Hall of the Buddha of Longevity, and the Hall occupied by the statue of Kun Iam.
The Hall of the Three Precious Buddhas houses three gilded Buddha statues. It includes a 300 year old bronze bell. The Hall faces a Buddhist monastery on the grounds.
The Hall of the Buddha of Longevity also houses a statue of Buddha. There is a lotus pond near it and the lotus is supposed to have grown into the shape of the Chinese character for longevity. Touching the lotus is supposed to increase the likelihood that you will live to be one hundred.
There are other small ahlls. Tin Hau Hall is dedicated to Tin Hau (sometimes called Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea). There is also the Hall of God of Earth and a few other small monuments and halls.
The Temple's Place in Macau's History & Culture
At a granite table on the temple's grounds, the First Sino-American Treaty was signed on July 3, 1844 between China and the U.S. Ki Ying, the Viceroy of Canton, and Caleb Cushing, the United States Commissioner to China, signed the treaty there .The table is in a garden behind the temple.
Four festivals a year are dedicated to Kun Iam.
