Thean Hou Temple is dedicated to Goddess Tian Hou, also known as The Heavenly Mother.
The installation dates of the Goddesses are as follows:
- 16 November 1985 - Tian Hou ( The Heavenly Mother )
- 19 October 1986 - Guan Yin ( The Goddess of Mercy )
- 16 November 1986 - Shui Wei Sheng Mu ( The Goddess of Waterfront )
This is the statue of The Heavenly Mother.
The
Heavenly Mother is also known as Her Heavenly Princess ( Tian Fei), or
tradisionally The Holy Grandmother ( Ma Zu).
Her original name was Lin Muo Niang. She was born in 960 AD in a willage along the Fujian's Pu Tian Mei bayside. She was said to receive a myriad of godly powers by a holy spirit which appeared and passed those power to her on a faithful day. After receiving the power, she will be able to across seawaters on cloth-mats and travel the islands on white-cloth. And because she showed enlightenment to the Gods in Heaven, people came to know her as The Enlightened Spirit or The Dragon's Daughter.
Lin Muo Niang was later ascended the highest peak of Fujian's Pu Tian Mei province and never seen again. Therfore, people built a shrine in her tributes.
The Goddess of Mercy is known as Guan Shi Yin, which is name directly translated from the original Indian-Sanskrit term.
Guan - Meaning deep and emphatizing thoughts
Shi - Meaning this world with unfulfilled wants and unending sadness.
Yin - Meaning all human voices especially our outcries of grievances.
She became known to all corners of the land and followers from all over came forward to pay their tributes as she severed her own two arms and gouge out her eyes for her father who was seriously ill, in order to safe his life.
This is the statue of The Goddess of Waterfront.
The Goddess of Waterfront is a deity by the Hainanese.
According to the lagend, the Port of Qing Lan was a village resided by the Pan Clan. One day, a member of Pan netted a heavy log. Strange incidents began to occur as soon as he brought the log onto shores. The log triggered the curiosity of the village elders who believed the log carried magical powers. The magical log would disappear at dusk and upon one of the Pan's "longan" trees, would appear a beautiful girl - thinkly built; and bearing a motherly expression on her face. The villagers realized the were in the presence of holy entirely, and postered the fisherman Pan to raise funds for building a temple.
Finally, the temple was built in her tributes, the exact spot she had appeared. She was thus named for the temple overlooking the waterfront of the Port of Qing-Lan, in the Town of Wen Chang.
Source : Brochure taken from the temple.
Devotees usually worship fruits, flowers, Joss- Sticks and Lotus Wishing Candles for 3 of the goddess.
The Lotus Wishing Candles.
Lotus Wishing Candles are known as " Ping An Deng " in mandarin, which represents peace.
Devotees worship flowers because flowers represent "Yin", which means reason in mandarion.
While, fruits represent "Guo", which means consequent in mandarin.
Only oranges are served in the temple.
Joss-sticks are not allowed to bring into the prayer hall.
We prayed at the entrance of the prayer hall.
Buddhist pray with joss-sticks as a sign of respect, gratitude and remembrance of the Goddesses.
These are drawing lots. People use it to seek for sign of the future faith.
Finally, some of the cultural activities such as the grand birthday celebration of Goddess Tian Hou, Dharma Prayers, Wesak Days, Mooncake Festivals and Chinese New Year celebrations also held in the Thean Hou Temple.
The Goddess of Waterfront is a deity by the Hainanese.
According to the lagend, the Port of Qing Lan was a village resided by the Pan Clan. One day, a member of Pan netted a heavy log. Strange incidents began to occur as soon as he brought the log onto shores. The log triggered the curiosity of the village elders who believed the log carried magical powers. The magical log would disappear at dusk and upon one of the Pan's "longan" trees, would appear a beautiful girl - thinkly built; and bearing a motherly expression on her face. The villagers realized the were in the presence of holy entirely, and postered the fisherman Pan to raise funds for building a temple.
Finally, the temple was built in her tributes, the exact spot she had appeared. She was thus named for the temple overlooking the waterfront of the Port of Qing-Lan, in the Town of Wen Chang.
Devotees usually worship fruits, flowers, Joss- Sticks and Lotus Wishing Candles for 3 of the goddess.
Lotus Wishing Candles are known as " Ping An Deng " in mandarin, which represents peace.
Only oranges are served in the temple.
Buddhist pray with joss-sticks as a sign of respect, gratitude and remembrance of the Goddesses.
Finally, some of the cultural activities such as the grand birthday celebration of Goddess Tian Hou, Dharma Prayers, Wesak Days, Mooncake Festivals and Chinese New Year celebrations also held in the Thean Hou Temple.
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