Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
Joss House in April 2020
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Location	Weaverville, California
Coordinates	40°43′52″N 122°56′27″W / 40.7311°N 122.9408°W / 40.7311; -122.9408
Governing body	State of California

California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	709^[1]

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is a state park located in the center of the town of Weaverville, California. The site is a Taoist temple which is still in use, and is the oldest Chinese temple in California.

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From Shasta, it took about an hour and a half on Highway 299 to reach the old mining town of Weaverville. In Trinity Alp country, this town contains the oldest continuously used Chinese Temple in California. Built in 1875, Weaverville Joss House also known as the “Temple in the Forest Beneath the Clouds,” was placed under the protection of California State Parks in 1956, and is managed as an art collection. Today, guided tours give visitors a glimpse of ancient Chinese traditions. A visitor center on the grounds contains interpretative displays depicting the struggle the Chinese endured while attempting to acquire a share of California’s gold. Before taking a tour, I asked our guide, Diane, about the Joss House Temple. GUIDE DIANE: The Chinese were a disparate community from all over China. They spoke different dialects, they were having civil war in China so their political opinions were different. They needed some unifying place and in many of these old west towns, they would kind of rally around or gather around some form of house of worship. That certainly was true here in Weaverville. This temple occupies pretty much the physical center of the Chinese portion of the town. It was built in 1874, and they sent to China for many of the things that you are going to be seeing on the interior. It is a Taoist temple. Taoism is a philosophy espoused by a man name Lao-Tse over 2,500 years ago and it’s based on maintaining the balance of many gods, goddesses and ancestors. RUSS CHRISTOFF: And a lot of the original things that were brought from China are in the temple. GUIDE DIANE: Yes, and it’s one of the things about it as an historic site that is really significant. During the upheavals in China in the cultural revolution, many of the old rural styled temples there were dismantled or destroyed. So the fact that we have a complete and intact temple from that time period here in Weaverville makes it quite a draw. The people that come from China are very excited to see it here. We are lucky to have it as part of the State Parks’ system. You will find three different alters when you get inside. In Taoism, they have thousands of gods to choose from. Each community chooses the gods they think will help them. Here in Weaverville, it was primarily a mining community in 1874, so they chose their gods accordingly. Three alters, the alter of health and fortune, the alter of protection and the god that helps with the mining activity, and then there is also the alter of mercy and travel. So health, protection, travel, mercy, those finding their fortunes, that’s what they were here for. Those were the types of things and the various gods they chose. The Chinese contributed greatly to the development of California.

History

The original temple was built in 1852 by Chinese goldminers during the California gold rush.^[2]^[3]

The current building, called The Temple among the Trees Beneath the Clouds (雲林廟), was built in 1874 to replace earlier structures which had been destroyed by fires the year previous. In 1934, much of the material in the building was taken during a robbery. The state decided that, in order to protect the historic nature of the material, a local resident, Moon Lim Lee, would be named trustee for the site. In 1956, the site officially became a state historic site.

In 1989, a box was left at the visitor's center. It contained one of the Chinese Guardian Lions which had been stolen in the 1934 theft. The state of California commissioned a new pair of dogs to place on display in the temple. The new dogs were created by traditional craftsmen in China.

Much of the material on display inside the temple includes temple equipment, objects of Chinese art, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. The temple's patron saints are Xuantian Shangdi and Guan Di.

Current temple

Each year, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, a lion dance is performed. The dance is also performed on every Fourth of July weekend.

The interior of the temple remains the same as it looked when it was built, although safety railings and electric lights have been added. On the grounds, there is a recently added parking lot, visitor's center, and reflecting pool. Worship is still practiced at the temple but to preserve the exterior of the temple grounds, no incense burning is permitted.

The temple is located at the southwest corner of Main Street (California State Route 299) and Oregon Street in Weaverville.

References

^ "Weaverville Joss House". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
^ Bartell, John (October 7, 2019). "California's oldest Chinese temple still thriving". Bartell's Backroads. ABC10. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
^ "Celebration set in Weaverville," The Press-Tribune, July 3, 1974, pg 6.

External links

v t e Chinese American museums in the United States
Forbidden Gardens Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum Mai Wah Museum Museum of Chinese in America Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park Wing Luke Museum Wo Hing Society Hall

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This page was last edited on 29 May 2024, at 16:27

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