Buddhist monks playing Weiqi (the game of Go), Temple of the Five Hundred Gods (華林寺), Guangzhou
Collection
Identifier
Bo01-099
Notes
University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: Bo01-099. Photograph by John Thomson. No caption in the album for this photograph of Chinese men playing a board game (chess, according to John Thomson, but probably Weiqi, the game of Go). This group of priests lived at the Temple of the Five Hundred Gods (Temple of the Five Hundred Genii, Flowery Forest Monastery, 華林寺, Hualin si, Wa Lum, Hua Lin temple), Canton (Guangzhou). The man in the centre of this photograph is the Abbot. The temple is described as follows in 'A Pictorial Handbook to Canton': 'A temple which the amateur photographer should not miss visiting, situated in the “Great Market Street.” Many interesting photographs can be obtained of this picturesque building. The temple is dedicated to the Five Genii, who, according to Chinese legends, came to Canton riding through the air on rams. The rams are supposed to have been turned to stone. These stones are preserved in one of the halls of the temple, called “The Sacred Palace of the Five Genii.” In the court-yard is a large square tower, in which an enormous bronze bell is suspended.’ Source: 'Pictorial Handbook to Canton' (Middlesbrough, Hood & Co., 1905), p.15. See a scan of Thomson's negative (Wellcome Collection ref: 19530i). See also UB01-21.
Related Photographs
Location
Estimated Date
1868-1869
Photographer
Material
Paper
Media
Black and white photograph
