A common central feature of the ancestral temples are the ancestral tablets that embody the ancestral spirits.[1] The ancestral tablets are typically arranged by seniority of the ancestors.[1] Altars and other ritual objects such as incense burners are also common fixtures. Ancestors and gods can also be represented by statues.
The temples are used for collective rituals and festivals in honor of the ancestors[1] but also for other family- and community-related functions such as weddings and funerals.[1] Sometimes, they serve wider community functions such as meetings and local elections.
In traditional weddings, the ancestral temple serves a major symbolic function, completing the transfer of a woman to her husband's family.[2] During the wedding rites, the bride and groom worship at the groom's ancestral shrine, bowing as follows:[2]
first bow - Heaven and Earth
second bow - ancestors
third bow - parents
fourth bow - spouse
Three months after the marriage, the wife undertakes worship at the husband's ancestral shrine, in a rite known as miaojian (廟見).[2]
In mainland China, ancestral temples along with other temples have often been destroyed or forced to become "secularized" as village schools or granaries during the land reform of the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution. They have experienced a revival since the economic liberalization of the 1980s.[1] The revival of the ancestral temples has been particularly strong in southern China where lineage organization had stronger roots in the local culture and local communities are more likely to have clan members living overseas who are keen to support the revival and rebuilding of the shrines through donations.[1]
Altar in the nhà thờ họ of the Trần family in Cát Sơn
Ancestral temple is called nhà thờ họ, nhà thờ tộc or từ đường in Vietnam. An ancestral death anniversary will be held yearly at nhà thờ họ and this anniversary is usually used as an occasion to renew the relationship between clan members.
In other religions and culturesedit
Ancestral shrines or similar concepts are also common in other religions and cultures. Especially other East and Southeast Asian but also traditional African religions have ancestral shrines and or tombs. Ancestor worship is an important and common element in native African religions and is still common and practiced by followers of folk religions but also Christian and Muslim Africans.[3]
^ abcdefEdward L. Davis (Editor), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture, Routledge, 2004
^ abcLi Wenxian (2011). . Encyclopedia of Taiwan. Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on May 1, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
^Kimmerle, Heinz (April 11, 2006). "The world of spirits and the respect for nature: towards a new appreciation of animism". The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa. 2 (2): 15. doi:10.4102/td.v2i2.277. ISSN 2415-2005.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancestral halls.
January 01, 1970
ancestral, shrine, confused, with, confucian, royal, ancestral, shrine, ancestral, shrine, hall, temple, chinese, 祠堂, pinyin, cítáng, tông, chinese, 宗祠, pinyin, zōng, chong, vietnamese, nhà, thờ, họ, chữ, hán, 家祠户, also, called, lineage, temple, temple, dedica. Not to be confused with Confucian royal ancestral shrine An ancestral shrine hall or temple Chinese 祠堂 pinyin Citang Pe h ōe ji Su tong or Chinese 宗祠 pinyin Zōng Ci Pe h ōe ji Chong su Vietnamese Nha thờ họ Chữ Han 家祠户 also called lineage temple is a temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition Ancestral temples are closely linked to Confucian philosophy and culture and the emphasis that it places on filial piety Altar with ancestral tablets in King Law Ka Shuk Hong Kong Eastern Han 25 220 AD Chinese stone carved que pillar gates of Dingfang Zhong County Chongqing that once belonged to a temple dedicated to the Warring States era general Ba Manzi Altar with couplets and diaphragm in a Vietnamese clan ancestral house Nha thờ họ A common central feature of the ancestral temples are the ancestral tablets that embody the ancestral spirits 1 The ancestral tablets are typically arranged by seniority of the ancestors 1 Altars and other ritual objects such as incense burners are also common fixtures Ancestors and gods can also be represented by statues The temples are used for collective rituals and festivals in honor of the ancestors 1 but also for other family and community related functions such as weddings and funerals 1 Sometimes they serve wider community functions such as meetings and local elections In traditional weddings the ancestral temple serves a major symbolic function completing the transfer of a woman to her husband s family 2 During the wedding rites the bride and groom worship at the groom s ancestral shrine bowing as follows 2 first bow Heaven and Earth second bow ancestors third bow parents fourth bow spouse Three months after the marriage the wife undertakes worship at the husband s ancestral shrine in a rite known as miaojian 廟見 2 In mainland China ancestral temples along with other temples have often been destroyed or forced to become secularized as village schools or granaries during the land reform of the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution They have experienced a revival since the economic liberalization of the 1980s 1 The revival of the ancestral temples has been particularly strong in southern China where lineage organization had stronger roots in the local culture and local communities are more likely to have clan members living overseas who are keen to support the revival and rebuilding of the shrines through donations 1 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Taiwan 3 Hong Kong 4 Southeast Asia 5 Vietnam 6 In other religions and cultures 7 Gallery 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksEtymology editAncestral shrineChinese nameChinese祠堂TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinCitangKorean nameHangul사당Hanja祠堂TranscriptionsRevised RomanizationsadangJapanese nameKanaしどうTranscriptionsRomanizationShidōChinese 祠堂 pinyin Citang has its first character Ci Shrine inChinese 宗祠 pinyin Zōng Ci has its first character derived from Jongmyo and its second character is Ci Shrine Ancestral shrineChinese nameChinese宗祠TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinZongciKorean nameHanja종사TranscriptionsRevised RomanizationJongsaJapanese nameHiraganaそうしTranscriptionsRomanizationsōshiThat phrasing can be seen as making the Jongmyo a more sacralized version since Ci shrines are considered lower ranked than Miao shrines Taiwan editNotable ancestral temples in Taiwan include Koxinga Ancestral Shrine Chinese 鄭成功祖廟 in West Central District Tainan Liu Clan Shrine Chinese 劉家宗祠 in Liouying District Tainan Yang Family Ancestral Hall Chinese 楊氏宗祠 in Jiadong Township Pingtung County Wukou Village Liou Family Ancestral Hall Chinese 五溝水劉氏宗祠 in Wanluan Township Pingtung County Zhong Sheng Gong Memorial Chinese 宗聖公祠 in Pingtung City Pingtung County Shetou Doushan Temple Chinese 社頭斗山祠 in Shetou Township Changhua County Chen Dexing Ancestral Hall Chinese 陳德星堂 in Datong District TaipeiHong Kong editNotable ancestral temples in Hong Kong include Tang Ancestral Hall and Yu Kiu Ancestral Hall along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail King Law Ka Shuk Tang Chung Ling Ancestral HallSoutheast Asia editNotable ancestral temples in Chinese communities of Southeast Asia include Long Shan Tang Temple Chinese 龍山堂 in Yangon Myanmar Khoo Kongsi in Penang Malaysia Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi in Penang Malaysia Tan Si Chong Su in SingaporeVietnam editMain article Nha thờ họ nbsp Altar in the nha thờ họ of the Trần family in Cat Sơn Ancestral temple is called nha thờ họ nha thờ tộc or từ đường in Vietnam An ancestral death anniversary will be held yearly at nha thờ họ and this anniversary is usually used as an occasion to renew the relationship between clan members In other religions and cultures editAncestral shrines or similar concepts are also common in other religions and cultures Especially other East and Southeast Asian but also traditional African religions have ancestral shrines and or tombs Ancestor worship is an important and common element in native African religions and is still common and practiced by followers of folk religions but also Christian and Muslim Africans 3 Gallery edit nbsp Yu shrine in Zhejiang nbsp Ye shrine in Anhui nbsp Liang shrine in Jiangxi nbsp Chen shrine in Guangdong nbsp Huang shrine in Guangdong nbsp Lai shrine in Taiwan nbsp Xiao shrine in Tianzhong Township of Changhua County Taiwan nbsp Public ancestral shrine in Chinatown Complex Food Centre Singapore nbsp Home altar handicraft production in Chinatown BangkokSee also edit nbsp Religion portal nbsp Architecture portal Chinese folk religion Chinese ancestor worship Ancestor tablets Chinese lineage associations Ancestral home Chinese Chinese kin Guanxi Kongsi Bodaiji JesaReferences edit a b c d e f Edward L Davis Editor Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture Routledge 2004 a b c Li Wenxian 2011 Worshipping in the Ancestral Hall Encyclopedia of Taiwan Taipei Council for Cultural Affairs Archived from the original on May 1 2014 Retrieved September 12 2012 Kimmerle Heinz April 11 2006 The world of spirits and the respect for nature towards a new appreciation of animism The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa 2 2 15 doi 10 4102 td v2i2 277 ISSN 2415 2005 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancestral halls China Ancestral Temples Network Ancestral halls in Tai Po Hong Kong Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ancestral shrine amp oldid 1219336714, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
