Joss house
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joss house or Miu (廟) is a place for worshiping a variety of indigenous Chinese deities, saints and supernatural beings from Taoist, Buddhism, Confucianism, heroes and folklores. Joss house is usually translated as temple, although it was in common use in English in western North America during frontier times, when joss houses were a common feature of places with Chinatowns. Joss houses are distinct from Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries that they are established by nearby villagers or fishermen to pray for good luck; only few or none of monks, nuns or priests study religion or stay in joss houses. Joss houses are usually small houses decorated with traditional figures on their roofs although some evolve into significant structures.
The name "joss house" describes the environment of worship. Joss sticks, a kind of incense, are burned inside and outside of house. The Chinese character 廟 (Miu in Cantonese language) means "ancestor hall", a place to worship ancestors. It is later extended to places for worshipping others.
As they are not large established institutes, most joss houses in mainland China were destroyed in Cultural Revolution. However they can still be founded everywhere in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Tin Hau (or Amah) is the most popular deity in South China.
