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Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship ofChinese Buddhism,Taoism,Confucianism, orChinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as:
Gōng (宮), meaning "palace" is a term used for a templar complex of multiple buildings, whileyuàn (院), meaning "institution," is a generic term meaning "sanctuary" or "shrine". Táng (堂) means courtyard or room, and ān (庵) means dome or nunnery.
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Internal traditions Major cultural forms Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions:
 Confucian churches and sects: |
Shen temples are distinct fromTaoist temples in that they are established and administered by localmanagers, village communities, lineage congregations and worship associations. They do not have professionalpriests, althoughTaoist priests,fashi,Confucianlisheng, and alsowu andtongji shamans, may perform services within the temples.Shenist temples are usually small and decorated with traditional figures on their roofs (dragons and deities), although some evolve into significant structures.
Chinese temples can be found throughoutMainland China andTaiwan, and also whereChinese expatriate communities have settled. An old name in English for Chinese traditional temples is "joss house".[1] "Joss" is an Anglicized spelling ofdeus, the Portuguese word for "god". The term "joss house" was in common use in English in the nineteenth century, for example in North America duringfrontier times, when joss houses were a common feature ofChinatowns. The name "joss house" describes the environment of worship.Joss sticks, a kind ofincense, are burned inside and outside of the temple.
