Sze Yup Temple, Sydney悉尼四邑关帝庙

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

Australia · New South Wales · Glebe, Sydney · Victoria Road, Glebe; covers approximately 3,774 square meters

Coordinates

-33.8741, 151.1806 Map ↗

First built

The central hall was completed in 1898; east and west wings were added in 1904 · Founded by Sze Yup immigrants from Guangdong; listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register (No. 267) on April 2, 1999

Heritage status

NSW State Heritage Register #267(1999)

Overview

The Sze Yup Temple, Sydney, had its main hall completed in 1898, with the east and west halls added in 1904; it was founded by Sze Yup (Siyi) immigrants from Guangdong and is dedicated primarily to Guandi, with the east hall serving as an ancestral hall and the west hall dedicated to the God of Wealth. It is one of only four Chinese temples in Australia still in use that predate the First World War, and the only one of them that retains its original setting with an unbroken visual connection to Blackwattle Bay — the temple was sited facing water in keeping with the fengshui traditions of South Chinese temples, a landscape relationship that has rarely survived Australia's urbanization. The building is constructed of red brick, combining Edwardian architectural style with local conditions, and covers an area of roughly 3,774 square meters. It suffered fires in 1952 and 2008, and was restored in 1953–1954. It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register (No. 267) on April 2, 1999. It is a folk-religious site of the Sze Yup immigrant community.

Highlights

• Main hall completed 1898, east and west halls added 1904
• The only early Chinese temple to retain its original waterside setting
• Ancestral hall and God of Wealth hall
• NSW State Heritage Register No. 267