Golden Dragon Museum, Yi Yuan Garden and Kuan Yin Temple, Bendigo本迪戈金龙博物馆、怡园与观音庙

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Australia · Victoria · Bendigo · Dai Gum San, 1–11 Bridge Street, Bendigo, the site of one of the former Chinatowns

First built

1991 · Initiated by Russell Jack in the 1980s and designed by architect Harry Charalambous; the first accredited museum in Victoria

Overview

The Golden Dragon Museum opened in 1991 on the site of one of Bendigo's former Chinatowns (now known as Dai Gum San), and is the first accredited museum in Victoria. The building combines Chinese symbolic motifs with Australian vernacular materials such as corrugated iron and red brick. Its collection focuses on artifacts of Australian Chinese history, including embroidered opera costumes with gold thread from the 1880s, Qing-dynasty paintings, calligraphy, and antique currency; the most famous exhibits are two imperial processional dragons: "Loong," the old dragon, which had already paraded at the 1901 Federation celebrations and is listed on the heritage register, recognized as one of the oldest surviving Chinese processional dragons in the world; and "Sun Loong," the new dragon, which measures over a hundred meters in length. The grounds also contain a Chinese garden, Yi Yuan, and a Kuan Yin temple, so the site combines the three functions of museum, garden, and religious site; it must be honestly noted that the Kuan Yin temple is a Buddhist shrine, distinct in nature from the Guandi Temple in Bendigo (a separate entry). The museum's displays also faithfully present the racial discrimination suffered by Chinese people under the White Australia Policy.

Highlights

• The first accredited museum in Victoria (1991)
• The old dragon Loong, which paraded at the 1901 Federation celebrations
• The new dragon Sun Loong, measuring over a hundred meters
• The grounds include Yi Yuan garden and a Kuan Yin temple
• Built on the site of a former Chinatown