:A-Ma Temple

{{Infobox building

| name = A-Má Temple

| native_name = 媽閣廟

| native_name_lang = Chinese

| logo =

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| image = File:A Ma Temple 200907.jpg

| image_size =

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| image_caption = A-Má Temple, Macau

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| location = Barra, Macau

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| location_city = Macau

| location_country = Macau

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| namesake =

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| completion_date = 1488

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{{chinese

| pic = File:A Ma Temple inside.JPG

| piccap = Main Hall

| t = {{linktext|媽|閣|廟}}

| s = 妈阁庙

| y = Mā Gok Miuh

| j = maa1 gok3 miu6

| p = Mā Gé Miào

| poj = Má Koh Biō

| por = Templo de A-Má

| l = Temple of the Pavilion of the Mother

}}

The A-Má Temple is a temple to the Chinese sea-goddess Mazu located in São Lourenço, Macau, China. Built in 1488, the temple is one of the oldest in Macau and thought to be the settlement's namesake.

History

The name Macau was thought to be derived from the name of the temple. See Hokkien {{zh|t=|poj=a-má|l=grandmother; elderly woman|c=阿媽|s=|p=}}; Cantonese {{zh|t=|l=an epithet of the Fujianese sea goddess Matsu (媽祖)|c=阿媽|s=|p=|j=aa{{sup|3}} maa{{sup|5}}|cy=a máh}}. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied A-maa-gok (Cantonese {{zh|t=|l=Pavilion of the Fujianese sea goddess Matsu (媽祖)|c=阿媽閣|s=|p=|cy=a máh gok|j=aa{{sup|3}} maa{{sup|5}} gok{{sup|3}}}}; Hokkien {{zh|t=|poj=A-má Koh|l=Ornamental Platform of the Grandmother|c=阿媽閣|s=|p=}}) or Maa-gok (Cantonese {{zh|t=|l=Pavilion of the Mother|c=媽閣|s=|p=|cy=máh gok|j=maa{{sup|5}} gok{{sup|3}}}}). The Portuguese then named the peninsula with various forms over the centuries such as "Amacão", "Ama Cuão", "amaquan", "Amacao", "Amacuão", "Amaquão", "Amangão", "Amagão", "Amaquam", then the initial ⟨A⟩ was later elided in Portuguese likely due to misconstruing with {{Langx|pt|a|4=towards; to; at; in}} resulting into the following forms, "Macão", "Macao", "Macau", "Maquão", "Maçhoam", "Machoam".{{cite web|url=http://www.66163.com/Fujian_w/news/kfcb/kfcb9904/kfa-6b.html|title=Hakka and Macau|language=Chinese|accessdate=2008-01-02|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113000149/http://www.66163.com/Fujian_w/news/kfcb/kfcb9904/kfa-6b.html|archivedate=13 January 2008|url-status=dead}} The temple was well described in ancient Chinese texts as well as represented in paintings, related to Macao. It is also one of the first scenes photographed in Macao.

In 2005, the temple became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Architecture

The temple consists of six main parts:{{cite web|url=http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/As/Small/Macau/AMaTemple.htm|title=A-Ma Temple|date=14 November 2014|publisher=Wondermondo}} Gate Pavilion, the Memorial Arch, the Prayer Hall, the Hall of Benevolence (the oldest part of the temple), the Hall of Guanyin, Zhengjiao Chanlin - Buddhist Pavilion.