The Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple in Kuching
Many thanks to John Tan for his kind assistance in helping me understand the Chinese temples.
The Hiang Thian Ti temple, on Carpenter Street, was first built in 1863 by the Teochew immigrants as a house of worship for the Deity of the North. It is located on Carpenter street in the city centre.
The temple was a very simple building when it was first built by the Teochew immigrants who came from China. Originally located on the Main Bazaar it was moved to the present location after it was razed by fire in 1884 and rebuilt in 1889.
In 1968 the Temple underwent a major renovation, and the statues of the deities were completely refurnished with gold foils. The Kuching Teochew Association manages the temple and originated from the temple. (From a brochure of the temple.)
The four symbols 四象 are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic.(the apparent path of the sun or earth among the stars.) These symbols are the azure dragon of the east, the vermilion bird of the south, the white tiger of the west and the black tortoise of the north. This temple is dedicated to the black tortoise 玄武 of the north and has a pond with turtles swimming around.
| Four Auspicious Beasts | Five directions | Five seasons | Times of day[6] | Five colors | Wuxing | Four Symbols | Yao | Five Gods |
| Azure Dragon | East | Spring | Dawn | Qing | Wood | Young yang | ⚍ | Goumang |
| Vermilion Bird | South | Summer | Midday | Red | Fire | Old yang | ⚌ | Zhurong |
| White Tiger | West | Autumn | Dusk | White | Metal | Young yin | ⚎ | Rushou |
| Black Tortoise | North | Winter | Midnight | Black | Water | Old yin | ⚏ | Xuanming |
| Yellow Dragon or Qilin | Central | Midsummer | Yellow | Earth | Houtu |
From: Wikipedia.
The Deity of the North
The temple is built, so the front faces north. As one enters the temple, there is a stone dragon on the east wall and a stone tiger on the west wall. Continuing onward is an alcove that houses the deity of the goddess of mercy. As one walks North, there is a turtle pond which is the symbol of the God of the North.
On the main altar is the Black Warrior of the North. 北方玄武;. There are many stories of this deity.
On the right side are other deities. The first is the husband and wife, the second is a Taoist priest, while the third depicts the life of the people.
Grandpa and Grandma Deities
To the far left on the main altar is the deity of Grand Ma and Grand Pa. I could not find these deities on the net but the local Sarawak story states that before a child reaches 15, he is cared for by these deities. Death before age 15 means he cannot be buried with his parents. After age 15 he is supposed to give thanks to the deities for taking care of them. There are stories from the Temple where teenagers would line up to give their thanks. The flowers surrounding these deities signify red for females and the white for males.
From:
Mr. John Tan and Mr. Tom McLaughlin
Borneo History.Net