The hoa’s temples and huiguans in the cultural belief life of Hoian people (Quang Nam) in the past and present

Abstract

Hoian (Quangnam) is the land of favorable natural conditions, a long – standing history and diversified culture, which shaped during different ages of rise and fall. In 17^th – 18^th centuries, Hoian was an urban center and a prosperous trade – port where the Hoa people has set foot and began their settling. At that time, the Hoa in Hoian built their own oganizations of five bangs (a type of self – governing institutions of Hoa people and approved by the authorirties), including: Guangdong (Quảng Đông), Jujian (Phúc Kiến), Chaozhou (Triều Châu), Hainam (Hải Nam) and Hakka (Gia Ứng) bangs. The bang, in its turn, has founded the communal institutions such as schools, hospitals, banks, pagodas, cimenteries, and temples and huiguans for the especials. At present, Hoian have a temple (Guangong temple at No 24, Tran Phu street, Minh An ward) and five huiguans of the Hoa. The each huiguan (one of these four huiguans) belongs to one concrete bang; those are Fujian Huiguan (No 46, Tran Phu street, Minh An ward) for Fujian group, Chaozhou Huiguan (No 157, Nguyen Duy Hieu street, Son Phong ward) for Chaozhou group, Hainan Huiguan (No 10, Tran Phu, Minh An ward) for Hainan group and Guanzhao Huiguan (No 176, Tran Phu street, Minh An ward) for Guangdong group. Chinese Huiguan (No 64, Tran Phu street, Minh An ward) is a common place for 5 bangs in Hoian. As for Hakka bang, they had joined in Chinese Huiguan because of having no their own huiguan. For the Hoa’s community in Hoian and Vietnam in general, the roles of temple and huiguan system represented via aspects of their cultural and belief life, economic activities and social organizational system. This case–study report will take an overview analysis of the importance of this communal building system in Hoian (Quangnam province) at the respects of culture and belief life.