Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-08-23
DESCRIPTION AND LEGEND
OF A CHINESE TEMPLE.

on which stands a temple OF the Bud
dha sect, of unusual size and great
magnifcence. The indo Chinese
Cleaner contains a description of it,
taken from the "Annais Of Canton"
in Chinese, together with a ground
plan, in which the principal parts
are designated in such a manner as
to give a tolera6ty distinct idea of
the edifce.
1t seems that The word JOS. which
has been usually taken for the Chi
mese name of the Deity. is a corrup-
ton of the Portuguese Deos. In that
strange gargon in which foreigners
and natives converse at Canton. this
building is called JOS House. while
its true Chinese name is Fat Kaou.
The temple is composed of four
distinct buildings ranged in a line.
They are square or oblong, of equal
breadth though of different length,
and communicate by convenient pas
sagcs. TN the sides are two rows
of small buildings of various descrip-
tons !; and in tho rear is a kitchen
garden.
The entrance is by two gates into
" the Palace of the -Four Great c.
les'ial Kings.' The inner of these
gates is called the Hill Gate" tho
the ground is perfectly level; for the
Budlha priesthood in China pretend
to a great fondness for seciusion and
retirement. and always insist on cali
ing the inner gates of their temples
and monasteries by this name. as if
they conducted to some wild, noun.
famous region, fit only for refuses.
over the gateway are two Chinese
characters. ~signifying The Sea
Screen" which is the name Of the
temple in the written language and
agsin>' the pillars on both sides r
two Inscriptions in large golden let
tiers. which speak most lofty things
of the perpetuRy of Buddhism. and
the fame of him who founded the tenn
pie. On the right hand side of the
passage is a colossal statue of the
warrior Chin keh and on the left.
that of Chin-HuDg, which are placed
there to guard the passage.
The Palace Of the -Four Great c.
Iestial Kings is a large square Hall
surrounded by thirty two pillars, Il
contains three Inscriptions lst.
"The happy region near the sea )"
cd, "Tke nation of Buddha in the
southern region !" Sd, 1.-The god
Buddha on the shores of the sea-
The next hall, which is of still
greater size. is Gated "The Great,
Powerful. Precious Palace" and is
surrounded by iorty-two pillars. 49,
In the middle stand three large ina
ges of Buddha, called "The three
precious Buddhas'--the Past, Pre-
sent, and Future and on the two
sides o. the room are statues of thir-
ty-six of his disciples, called Is Snap
pat-lo-han." The present Imperial
family, who are from Manchow Tar
tary, pretend that they + the spi-
| rits Of the Shap-pat.Io-han, reappear-
ing in the forms Of men. after a long
series of transmisrations. There is
! also a statue of Amida Buddha in
the same hall, near which is the pas
sage into the "Sha-le-tap."
This is a sort of Pagoda Of white
| stone, carved with idols ; and forms
the third great division of the tenn
pie.
The fourth and last is "the palace
of the goddess koon-yom," sur
rounded by forty-two pillars. This
parsonage is adored as the true Bud
dina. who, in Bengal, as we'll as in
China, is sometimes male, and some
times female.
Behind this is the Kitchen Gar
den. i'm which is a mausoleum for the
reception of the ashes of priests,
which are temporarily placed in a lit
| tie shed, as the mausoleum is opened
only once a year. In the garden is
also a pavilion erected in memory OF
a deer which was remarkably at
tached to his master.
The smaller buildings surround
ing the temple are the rooms for re.
reivinS visitors. which occupies the
site of a former temple of small size.
| and is decorated with an image With
many arms ; a place for keeping a
live domestic animals, according to