By following Maxwell and Arcadia Streets,
which contain some of the most attractive houses in the area, you will
find the Sze Yup Chinese temple in Edward Street. Built in 1898 but
destroyed by fire, it now dates from 1955.
The Sze Yup Temple was built by immigrants from the area
known as Sze Yup in the province of Guangdong, China.From its inception it
has been open to all members of the Chinese community for their spiritual
and welfare needs. The temple was a source of companionship, mutual
assistance and accommodation for travellers, new migrants, the aged and
the sick. It was also used to house the bones of the deceased, pending
their transportation to China for burial.
It is dedicated to Kwun Ti, a warrior and patriot in the era of the
Three Kingdoms 220 – 265 AD, who was famous for his loyalty, physical prowess and masculinity. In Australia,
immigrant Chinese worshipped him as a wise judge, a guide and a protector. There are only four temples of this type in Australia, and the Sze Yup temple is the most renowned. The
central temple in the Sze Yup complex was built in 1898. Two other temples
were dedicated to the God of Wealth and to Deceased Friends (the Mortuary
Chapel).
Principles of Feng Shui are seen in its location on land that sloped from the temple to the waters
of Rozelle Bay. In 1904 the temple was flanked by two chapels, the Chapel of Departed
Friends and the Chapel of Good Fortune.