Tin Hau Museum

Chiwan Tin Hau Palace

synonym

The Tin Hau Museum generally refers to the Tin Hau palace in Chiwan

Chiwan Tin Hau palace, also known as the Tin Hau Museum, is located at the foot of Xiaonanshan, next to Chiwan village, Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. Its establishment dates back to the Song Dynasty, and its construction momentum is magnificent. It was repaired many times in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the scale is growing. In the early years of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He, the eunuch of three treasures, under the order of Zhu Di, the emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, led the boatman to go far to the west to create the "Silk Road" on the sea. "Chiwan Shenggu", centered on Tianhou palace, is the first of the eight sceneries of Xin'an in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

History and Humanities

The biggest sacrificial activity in Chiwan Tin Hau palace is Tin Hau birthday. In addition to the folk activities, the official also went to this place every spring and autumn. As an important station of the maritime "Silk Road" at that time, the Ming Dynasty government once issued a text: if the other envoys of the Ming Dynasty went to Southeast countries, they would stop their ships to sacrifice when they passed here. According to the story of Hong Kong written by Mr. Lu Yan of Hong Kong, it is said: "because of the magnificence of Tin Hau Temple in Chiwan, every year on the 23rd day of March in the lunar calendar, residents of water and land in Kowloon, Hong Kong go to Tin Hau Temple in Chiwan to celebrate the birthday.

Empress dowager, also known as Mazu, Tianfei, Tianmu and niangma, is a god shared by shipmen, seafarers, tourists, businessmen and fishermen of all ages. Mazu temples have been built in many coastal areas.

It is said that Mazu's real name is Lin Mo, and its nickname is mo Niang, so it is also called Lin Mo Niang. In the first year of song Jianlong (960), it was born on March 23 of the lunar calendar in Meizhou Island, Putian. Lin Mo, who was only 28 years old, died on September 9 of the fourth year of emperor Yongxi (987). As for Mazu's death, some say that she was drowned in a torrent when she was saving others; another legend says that she took advantage of Changfeng to drive Xiangyun to heaven.

Mazu was determined not to marry and was compassionate when she was a child. She took it as her duty to do good deeds and help the world. All her life, she galloped in the sea and rescued many fishing boats and merchant ships. At the time of her death, the villagers felt the kindness of treating the sick and saving others, so they built a temple on Meizhou Island. This is the famous Mazu temple in Meizhou. Later, along with the southward migration of overseas Chinese, Mazu became a sea god widely believed by Chinese coastal areas in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Nowadays, there are more than 100 million overseas people who believe in Tian Hou. Almost all the places where Chinese live in concentrated communities have Tian Hou belief. A considerable number of overseas Chinese regard Tian Hou as the embodiment of their motherland and mother. Tian Hou has become a "bridge" for overseas tourists to seek their relatives and roots. In the belief of empress dowager, she is deeply attached to her motherland.

There are many statues of Empress Dowager collected in Chiwan empress dowager palace from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The new revised hall and outdoor empress dowager statues of Empress Dowager Palace are also in strict accordance with the modeling of Empress Dowager statues of the Song Dynasty to reproduce the great image of Empress Dowager.

Architectural features

In its heyday, Chiwan Tin Hau Temple had dozens of buildings, such as mountain gate, archway, sun moon pool, stone bridge, bell tower, front hall, main hall, back hall, left and right side hall, wing room, guest hall, corridor, corner Pavilion, stele Pavilion, etc., with more than 120 houses, covering an area of more than 900 mu. It is the largest Tin Hau Temple with 99 gates in coastal areas of China, It is also the most prestigious cultural landscape in the history of Shenzhen. In Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries enjoy a long reputation. It is one of the key protection units in Shenzhen.

Main attractions

Main hall of Tianhou Palace

According to legend, the main hall of Chiwan Tin Hau palace was built in the Song Dynasty and repaired many times from Ming Dynasty to Qing Dynasty. In recent years, it has been restored according to the three principles of "official style, Fujian Guangdong style, and Poseidon characteristics". The main hall is 24 meters wide and 16 meters high, with double eaves and high platform. It is an important place for worshiping empress dowager. It is the most famous palace in Chiwan.

Queen of heaven

In the center of the main hall of Tianhou palace, there is a statue of Tianhou. It is kind and dignified, dignified and solemn. It is more than six meters high. Above it is a gold plaque of Yongzheng, Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Guangxu. It has high cultural and artistic value. In front of the hall, there is a reading platform, with two steps of nine and five, in response to the number of days when the goddess of heaven is the "Ninth Five" God. In the middle of the platform, there is a pair of stone dragons, surrounded by stone railings of dragons and phoenixes. The carving is exquisite and lifelike, which is a must for worshippers.

Drum Tower of Tin Hau Palace

Drum is a traditional percussion instrument in China. In ancient times, pottery was used as a frame, covered with animal skin or Python skin, and some were made of copper. In ancient times, drumming at night was a substitute for newspaper, such as three drums, five drums and so on. The drum tower was founded by Li Chong, the governor of Yanzhou in the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was a facility for alarming and transmitting information. Later, it gradually lost its original function and became a time reporting facility. It often corresponded to the clock tower and was built delicately for people to watch. Important ceremony or festival clock drum, meaning the prosperous and peaceful scene.

Front hall of Tianhou Palace

The front hall of Tianhou palace in Chiwan is one of the important buildings of Tianhou palace. In the early years of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1403 AD), Zheng He, the eunuch of Sanbao, led the boatman to the west, and Zhang Yuan, his deputy envoy, rebuilt the Chiwan palace. Before that, the hall was 24 meters wide and more than 10 meters high. It is said that the relief pattern stone carving in front of the main gate platform is the original building component of Chiwan Tianfei temple in the late Song Dynasty. It has high cultural value and is an important evidence for the study of stone carving technology in the Song Dynasty. In front of the hall, there are four dragon pillars, each of which is 4.2 meters high. They are all carved with traditional Chinese stone carvings. The double dragon plate pillars are vivid. On both sides of the steps, there are two round carved stone unicorns, the guardians of the sea god empress, implying the sanctity and solemnity of the empress palace.

Dragon pillar of front hall of Tianhou Palace

The dragon pillars in the front hall of Tianhou Palace are carved out of a whole piece of bluestone. They are the most precious in the palace.

Sun moon pool in the temple of heaven after heaven

The sun moon pool is located in front of the gate of the queen of heaven palace in Chiwan, which is divided into left and right settings. The sun is Yang and the moon is Yin, which symbolizes the harmony of yin and Yang, the order of cold and heat, the combination of hardness and softness, and the ecological balance. Yu Tian Tian's Virgin Mary and her great deeds coexist with heaven and earth, and shine with the sun and the moon.

Notre Dame spring

On the east side of the sun moon pool, there is a virgin spring. The clear spring slowly flows into the pool, which is another landscape of the Queen's palace

"Holy water" well

Tianhou holy water comes from the holy water well in front of the reading platform of Tianhou palace in Chiwan. It contains a variety of trace elements necessary for human body. It is of good quality, fresh and refreshing. People around often come to the palace to collect holy water. It is said that drinking this water can prevent diseases and eliminate disasters and prolong life.

"Shenquan" well

Tianhou God spring comes from the Shenquan well beside Tianhou palace moon pool in Chiwan. It is natural, pure and delicious. According to the book, Tian Hou is one of the most beautiful goddesses in Chinese history. It is said that drinking this water often can nourish your hair and keep you young forever.

Fairy tree

Fairy tree, also known as wishing tree. According to the records of Tin Hau, in the early years of Yongle, Zheng He, the eunuch of three treasures, led the boatman to the Far West under the order of Zhu Li, the emperor of Ming Dynasty. The fleet sailed to the waters near Nanshan of the Pearl River Estuary and was in danger. Please pray for Tin Hau. The queen of heaven appeared to rescue Zheng He. When Zheng He returned to the court, he was ordered to send officials to arrange the ancestral temple. It is said that the tree was planted by Zhang Yuan, deputy commander of Zheng He, when he rebuilt the temple of Empress Dowager in Chiwan. After hundreds of years of war, it has been destroyed and grown. The common people often make a wish under the tree, and most of them have an answer. The common people call it the immortal tree.

Xiangyun Pavilion

On the left side of the main hall of Tianhou palace is Xiangyun Pavilion, which is full of good luck tower incense, dense and elegant fragrance. Linked by rings, the incense towers hold the hope of peace and happiness for the whole family.

Address: No.9, Chiwan Sixth Road

Longitude: 113.892407

Latitude: 22.478088

Tel: 0755-26851350

Chinese PinYin : Tian Hou Bo Wu Guan