Heavenly Queen Temple (Melbourne)

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Heavenly Queen Temple (Melbourne)

The Heavenly Queen Temple is a Taoist temple in Footscray, Melbourne, about four kilometres from the city centre and overlooking the Maribyrnong River. It is Australia’s largest Taoist temple and houses a 50‑foot (15 m) gold-painted Mazu statue imported from Nanjing in 2008.

The temple is dedicated to Mazu, the Chinese Goddess of the Sea, and is associated with the Lim clan.

Design and construction: The complex is modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City. The main temple opened in 2012. The first stage, completed in 2013 after about five years of work, cost around AUD 5 million. The main hall opened to the public in 2015, with construction continuing to 2020 to add two more halls.

Size and scope: When finished, the complex will cover about 40,000 square metres, with roughly two‑thirds of the land set aside for a Chinese Garden and car park. The total floor area of the buildings will be about 5,000 square metres.

See also: A‑Ma Temple (Macau), Ma‑Cho Temple (Philippines), List of Mazu temples, Tin Hau temples, and related sites.