After the Opium War in China, there were frequent wars and chaos, and the people did not have a good life. Some of the coastal people in Fujian, Guangdong, went to North America to pan for gold in San Francisco, some participated in the construction of a large railway across the United States, some went to South America to build the Panama Grand Canal, and some sailed to Australia's new gold mountain to pan for gold to make a living.
In the early spring of 1851, Ballarat, more than 100 kilometers from Melbourne, was found to be rich in gold. One by one, the Chinese workers came by boat and poured into the "New Golden Mountain" in southern Australia. The vast majority of them come from the coast of Guangdong, and most of them are Insidious.
In the 1870s, as the gold mines dried up, the Chinese left the mines and moved to the city, preferring the nearest coastal city, Melbourne. The Chinese who entered the city were transformed from miners into small merchants, small food shops, small craftsmen, and many Chinese who grew vegetables and fruits in the countryside on the outskirts of the city. The Chinese are proud of the powerful Tang Dynasty, and this place is called Chinatown by the Chinese.
In the fourth year of Qing Xianfeng (1854 AD), The former overseas Chinese leia mei of Melbourne initiated the establishment of the Siyi Guild Hall in Melbourne. Overseas Chinese are far away from home and need a god to comfort their hearts and protect their lives and property. Guan Gong, who was shaped into an almighty god, naturally became the protective god in the hearts of overseas Chinese. Melbourne's Siyi Guandi Temple was built to adapt to the beliefs of overseas Chinese.
The Guandi Grand Hall of the Four Yi Association in Melbourne, Australia, with the Guan Gongyi Shrine on the right (Photo by Zhu Zhengming)
Siyi Guandi Temple is located in melbourne's southern district, the main hall is a two-story building, the gate reads "Siyi Guild Hall", inscribed by the famous Calligrapher Zhang Zhihan in the fifth year of qing tongzhi (1866 AD), the two sides of the main entrance are magnificent: zhengqi long stay in the universe, Danxin runs straight through ancient and modern.
The Great Hall of the Guan emperor is divided into three entrances with three pairs of pillars, and in the middle is the shrine of the Guan Emperor, and the Guan Emperor is majestic and intimidating. Above, there is a plaque of "Guan Sheng Emperor Jun", and above, there are three plaques: Voldemort Hall, Zhi Da Zhi Gang, and Yun Wen Yun Wu. Inside the main hall, there are many plaques, counting, and there are more than 50 pieces, such as The Holy Grace Guangyu, the Blessing of My Group, the Loyalty and Courage, the Harmony of All Nations, ze and the sea corner. The yang lian on the wooden pillar of the main hall expresses the reverence of the Chinese in Siyi for Emperor Guan:
The heroes of the ancient world have great righteousness, and the thousand autumns of Deze Huiqunsheng;
The vast water and land of the silver sea are safe and the emperor is the same as the emperor, and the golden mountains are stacked with the source of wealth and the gods are vibrating together.
These were all created by the leaders of overseas Chinese in Siyi during the Years of Qing Xianfeng, Tongzhi and Guangxu.
On the right side of the middle hall of the Guandi Temple is the Overseas Chinese Ancestral Hall, where more than 8,000 sage tablets are placed, which is a heavenly treasure chosen for themselves by the gold miners and Chinese merchants who worked hard all their lives. Thinking back to that year, these hot-blooded young people carried The Guan Emperor's incense and crossed the sea, lived in a foreign country, worked diligently, followed Guan Gong's loyalty and justice when they were born, and relied on the charity gods of Guan Di after death, as if returning to their homeland, quiet and peaceful!
20 years ago, the Xinyi Ancestral Hall was inaugurated and was attended by hundreds of Siyi villagers. Federal Mp Chen Zhibin, Melbourne Mayor Su Zhenxi, Chinese Consul General in Melbourne Tian Junting, Australian Hongmen Democratic Party League President Lei Qianguang, and Siyi Guild Hall Prime Minister Lei Huipeng were present to congratulate the meeting.
In 1980, the Siyi Guild Hall comprehensively revised the 126-year-old constitution, adding to the purpose "integrating the aspirations of the sages, admiring the spirit of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and courage of the Emperor Guansheng", "expecting that the new generations will have an understanding of the culture of the motherland", emphasizing that the association should inherit the excellent Chinese culture and cultivate the identification of the new generation of Chinese people with the culture of the motherland. In the summary of more than 100 years of experience, in addition to unity and dedication, innovation and democracy, there is also "carrying forward the traditional Chinese culture with Guandi culture as the core and promoting the spirit of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and courage of Guandi, which is the most important ideological and cultural guarantee."
Mei Weiqiang, a leader of overseas Chinese in Macao, introduced that the Guandi culture embodies four spirits, that is, loyalty, faithfulness, benevolence, and courage. These four spirits contain the ethics, morality and ideals of Chinese national culture.
18 years ago, the 150th anniversary of Siyi Kaikan was celebrated. Australian Federal Prime Minister Howard, Federal Opposition Leader Qi Lian, and Chinese Consul General in Melbourne Tian Junting sent enthusiastic congratulatory messages.
In the high place of the ancient town of Ballarat in the southwest of Melbourne, there is still a Guandi Temple, which is known as the Golden Mountain Stacked With the Source of Wealth Pi Zhen Gongmu Divine Grace; the Vast Water and Land peace of the Silver Sea and the Emperor Ofe. After the restoration of the Ballarat Gold Mine in the 1970s, the streets and buildings of the town have retained the same as when they were panning for gold. Being in a gold mining town is like traveling to the 19th century full of desire...
Visiting professor at Yangtze University and Chinese photographer
Carry forward the Guandi Charity Foundation Zhu Zhengming
Source: Hong Kong Business Daily