By Kimberly Eng Lee, CHCP Co-President

CHCP’s Vice-President of Education, Dr. Chris Jochim gave a bilingual workshop on April 4 at the Avenidas Chinese Community Center (ACCC) in Palo Alto. Dr. Jochim presented in both English and Mandarin about the importance of the local temples, compared the Chinese American Historical Museum (CAHM) (in the replica Ng Shing Gung building) to other Chinese American temples, explained the meaning of various couplets, and discussed why most early Chinese immigrants’ temples disappeared or became museums.

Attendees listened intently and participants had many questions about the topic, including who was responsible for upkeep of the Ng Shing Gung temple, where had the altar been stored after the temple closed, and what were relations like between Chinese residents of Heinlenville and adjacent Japantown.

CHCP Co-President Kimberly Eng Lee also described the still active Bok Kai Temple in Marysville, which CHCP visited in early March during the Bok Kai Festival.