The Temple’s history

The See Yup Society is a non-profit organisation that was established for those who trace their ancestry to the See Yup area. “See 四” meaning four, and “Yup 邑” meaning district, was the name given to the area covered by the four districts of Sunwui 新會 (Xinhui), Toisan 台山 (Taishan), Hoiping 開平(Kaiping) and Yanping 恩平 (Enping) in Southern Kwangtung 廣東 (Guangdong) Province.

The Society was established to maintain a temple to honour Kwan Tai 關帝 (Guan Di), a deified heroic Chinese general, care for ancestors from the See Yup, organise charitable activities, encourage mutual support and cooperation among members and promote the understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

You can also worship Choi San 財神 (Cai Shen), Kwun Yum 觀音 (Guan Yin) and Tai Sui 太歲  (Tai Sui) and pay your respect to over 13,000 ancestors whose spirit tablets in three ancestral halls at the See Yup temple. Spirit tablets for those with See Yup ancestry can be placed in the 1901 ancestral hall. Those with ancestry outside of See Yup can have a spirit tablet places in the 2002 ancestral hall.

The three main central buildings we see today were designed by architect George Wharton in 1866 and replaced a smaller two-storey wooden temple built in 1856. Later additions include the gardens established between 1867-1894, a second ancestral hall, designed by architect Harold Desbrowe Annear in 1901, the Kwun Yum Pavillion constructed in 2002, and a third ancestral hall built in 2003, both designed by architect Cheung Sui Fung. You can read more about the history of the temple here.

The last major repairs to the temple were undertaken between 1976-1983. At this time the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) established a Restoration Appeal to assist repairs to the temple. They have done the same again in the wake of the fire. Tax-deductible donations to the National Trust Restoration Appeal can only be spent on restoration work.