Tam Kung Temple is the oldest Chinese Temple in Canada. Established in 1876 it is located in the Chinatown of Victoria, BC. It is under the guardianship of the Yen Wo Society, a non-profit organization established in 1905 by the Chinese Hakka community.
Hakka is a Chinese clan-dialect. Hakka means ‘guest people’ and Yen Wo means ‘community’. Hakka people originated from the northern and central parts of China and migrated southward to Guangdong Province in the 13th Century and were among the early Chinese clan groups that migrated to North America in the 19th century. Today there are Hakka peoples living across North America and World-wide. Many today continue to maintain Hakka language, culture and traditions.
The foundation of Tam Kung Temple dates back to the 1860’s when a Hakka gold seeker, Ngai Shee, from Guangdong Province in China brought a statuette of Tam Kung to safeguard his journey across the Pacific Ocean to Victoria.
When Ngai Shee left Victoria in search of Gold Mountain he placed the statuette in a wooden box near the Johnson Street ravine so that others could pay homage. In 1876, Tsay Ching and Dong Sang, purchased a Victoria property located near the corner of Fisgard and Government Streets. Tam Kung Temple was established in a single-story framed structure on the site, providing a safe place for honouring ancestors, for spiritual guidance and cultural unity.
In 1912 the Society demolished the building and erected a 4-level structure in its place. Tam Kung was moved to the top floor of the narrow brick building. For more than a century, the Yen Wo Society continues in its role as Temple custodian, responsible for preservation and maintenance.
