Description of the attraction
Darwin's location at the northern tip of Australia played a role in making the city the gateway to Southeast Asia. Over the centuries, the influx of Asian immigrants has come to the Australian continent and brought with it a variety of oriental cultures that mingled with each other and with the indigenous culture that existed here, to produce an unimaginable cocktail. One of the most influential cultures in Darwin's life and development was Chinese culture. During the 18th century, Chinese workers came to Darwin to meet the needs of the burgeoning mining industry. The growth of Chinese communities was not stopped by the Second World War, nor by the devastating cyclone Tracy of 1974, which practically wiped out Darwin from the face of the earth.
The most important evidence of Chinese presence in Darwin's territory is the Chinese Museum and Chung Wa Temple.
The temple is located 5 minutes' walk from Darwin's General Post Office. It was built in 1887 and has since been rebuilt several times due to damage from cyclones and war. The current building was built in 1977 on the site of the previous one destroyed by the Tracy cyclone. The symbols above the entrance mean "May the Power of Our Lord Almighty be everywhere!" And the entrance itself is guarded by stone lions made by hand in China. On the territory of the temple, the Bodhi tree, sacred for Buddhists, grows - it is considered a descendant of the very tree under which Buddha attained nirvana. Today, Buddhists, Confucians and Taoists perform their religious rituals here, as well as various cultural events, such as the Chinese New Year and the Lunar Festival.
The Chinese Museum is located next to the temple and talks about the diverse Chinese communities living in Darwin. His collections include many objects from the life of Chinese immigrants of the past and clearly demonstrate the difficulties they had to overcome in the development of a new country. Here you can see what Chinatown looked like before it was destroyed during the military bombing.
The museum and temple are run by Chung Wa, a non-governmental organization whose main goal is to preserve Chinese culture, traditions and history. These are popular places to visit for both locals and tourists alike, as they serve as a reminder of the significant contributions the resilient and resourceful Chinese have made to Darwin's culture, development and economic prosperity.
