Asociación China de Mexicali墨西卡利中华会馆神坛

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Mexico · Baja California · Mexicali · Within the La Chinesca district

First built

1919 · Brought about by bodies such as the Ming Chih Tang, founded in 1914; it remains the main Chinese association of Mexicali today

Overview

The Asociación China de Mexicali was established in 1919, the core umbrella association of the local Chinese community, brought about through the joint effort of existing bodies such as the Ming Chih Tang, founded in 1914; in 1920 the Kuomintang established a branch chapter here. Beneath the association are numerous native-place and clan associations organized by ancestral county, with associations for Zhongshan, Taishan, Kaiping, and other counties all represented. The association hall contains a Chinese-language reading room, an altar, and a small museum upstairs, holding items such as a dragon head, robes for the God of Wealth, musical instruments, and plaques presented by various associations. It must honestly be noted as to its nature: this is an association altar rather than an independent temple, its worship of deities sharing the same floor with deliberative, educational, and mutual-aid functions — a typical vehicle for Chinese religious life in Mexico. Although Mexico has the country's largest Chinese settlement, it has not developed an independent Daoist temple building, consistent with the situation in Peru and Cuba.

Highlights

• Established in 1919, the core association of Mexicali's Chinese community
• Brought about by bodies such as the Ming Chih Tang (1914)
• The hall contains a reading room, an altar, and a small museum
• Holds a dragon head, robes for the God of Wealth, and association plaques
• An association altar rather than an independent temple