Taoist temple - Dokan

A building dedicated to Taoist gods and where Taoist priests perform rituals. It is equivalent to a Buddhist temple. The name "guan" comes from the word "louguan," or tall tower. For example, there are names such as Changchun Palace, Bixia Palace, Baiyun Temple, and Xuanmiao Temple, which are collectively called "gongguan." Both "guan" and "guan" are given to large, prestigious Taoist temples. Some are also called "miao," such as Dong Yue Temple and Guandi Temple. These are shrines that worship ancestral spirits, just like the royal ancestral temples, but the term is not limited to Taoism in general, but is also used to refer to small shrines of folk beliefs and Buddhist temples. There is also the term "doin," which is used to mean a place where Taoist priests train. Taoist temples and shrines are usually inhabited by Taoist priests, but in areas where there are few regular Taoist priests, Buddhist monks sometimes lived there. As a result of the reorganization of temple property during the Republic of China period and the anti-superstition policies after the revolution, many Taoist temples were either abandoned or converted into barracks, government offices, or residential areas. However, after the Cultural Revolution, those that were valuable as cultural and historical sites or needed for tourism were restored and opened to the public.

[Sawada Mizuho]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

道教の神々を奉祀(ほうし)し、道士が祭儀を営む建物。仏教の寺院に相当する。観とは楼観すなわち高い楼閣からおこった名称。たとえば長春宮、碧霞(へきか)宮や、白雲観、玄妙観などの称があり、あわせて宮観(きゅうかん)という。宮も観もいずれも規模が大きくて格式のある道観につけられる。また東岳廟(とうがくびょう)、関帝(かんてい)廟などのように廟と称するものもある。これは王室の宗廟と同じく祖霊を祀(まつ)る祠堂(しどう)であるが、一般には道教系に限らず、民間信仰の小祠や仏教の寺院まで広げて汎称(はんしょう)する。ほかに道院の称もあり、道士修行の場所の意に用いられる。道観や廟は道士が住持するのがたてまえであるが、正規の道士が少ない地方では、仏教の和尚(おしょう)が住することもあった。中華民国時代の廟産整理や革命以後の反迷信政策から、多くの道観は廃絶するか、もしくは兵営、役場、民居などに転用されていたが、文化大革命以後、それらのうち文化史跡として貴重か、または観光用として必要なものは復旧して開放されることになった。

［澤田瑞穂］

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