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	Bok Kai Temple (Chinese: 北溪廟)
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	California Historical Landmark No. 889
	Full view of the Bok Kai Temple
Location	Marysville, California
Coordinates	39°8′5.98″N 121°35′13.03″W / 39.1349944°N 121.5869528°W
Built	1880
NRHP reference No.	75000498
CHISL No.	889
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 21, 1975
Designated CHISL	1975

The Bok Kai Temple (Chinese: 北溪廟, literally North Creek Temple) is a traditional Chinese temple in the city of Marysville, California, located at the corner of D and First Streets. Since 1880, it served as the center of what was a bustling Chinatown for a small town known as the "Gateway to the Gold Fields".^[3] It is the only in situ 19th-century Chinese Temple in the United States that is still active.^[4]^: 253

History

When the Chinese from the Pearl River Delta west of Canton arrived in California during the gold rush, many on their way to work the gold mines landed in riverboats at Marysville. Its importance as a supply depot grew and was imprinted in their Cantonese language: Marysville was known as Sahm Fou (三埠, Third City); Sacramento Yee Fou (二埠, Second City); and San Francisco Dai Fou (大埠, The Big City).^[3]^: 17 ^[5]

In the 1860s, a temple was erected in Marysville to serve its substantial Chinese population. The history of the original and other non-extant temples is unclear; but in 1880 a new one was built and dedicated, which is still in place and in use. The foremost of the gods that are worshiped is Běidì (北帝; 'North Deity', Cantonese: Pak Tai, Bok Tai; non-standard Toishanese: Buck Eye, Beuk Aie), also known as Xuan Wu, (玄武 "Dark Warrior" or "Mysterious Warrior"), a Deity in Chinese folk religion believed to govern the northern region and rain, hence its place of reverence at Bok Kai Temple, or Northern Creek Temple.^[6]^: 45–67 ^[4]^{: 41, 253–269}

The temple plays a central role for the "bomb festival"; the first such festival in Marysville dates back to at least 1873, before the current temple was built. Although a dozen Chinese communities in California held "bomb festivals" in the late 19th century, usually on yee yuet yee (Chinese: 二月二; lit. 'second-month second'), the second day of the second month of the lunar year, Marysville's festival is the only one to persist to the present day.^[4] Each "bomb" used is a specially made firecracker that launches a hand-sized "good fortune" ring with a number (the local newspaper called them "wheels of fortune")^[7] high in the air above the assembled crowd. The lucky person who catches the ring as it drops, fights off others vying for it, and retains full control of it, usually to the temple door, receives from the temple a reward or fortune corresponding to the ring number. In the 1880s, the Marysville dragon, Moo Lung (Chinese: 舞龍; lit. 'dragon dance'), was added to the festivities. In the 1950s, when Marysville was the only U.S. community firing off these "bombs", the name was changed to the Bok Kai Festival.^[6]^: 81–97

The temple remains a primary focus of the present Marysville Chinese-American community, who have dedicated themselves to preserving the temple and celebrating the Bok Kai Festival.^[8]

Current use

The temple is infrequently used as an active place of worship, but is preserved as both a California Historical Landmark and as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places. A Bok Kai festival and parade is held annually in the spring, during which time the temple is opened for ceremonies as well as for interested parties to tour. Other tours may be arranged by contacting the Temple caretaker.^[8]

In 2022, it was reported that the temple served as an inspiration and point of reference for artists working on the Pixar film Turning Red, which features a fictional temple located in Chinatown, Toronto.^[9]

The dragon in the parade at the annual Bok Kai festival
The front view of the Bok Kai Temple
The gate of the Bok Kai Temple from the street
Bok Kai Temple historical marker plaque
Small sedan chair for the Gods
Exhibition

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ "Bok Kai Temple". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Tom, Brian; Tom, Lawrence (2008). Marysville's Chinatown. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738559766.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ho, Chuimei; Bronson, Bennet (2022). Chinese Traditional Religion and Temples in North America, 1849–1920: California. Seattle, Washington: Chinese in Northwest America Research Committee. ISBN 9781723851469. ... expand on information in the present authors' "Three Chinese Temples in California" (2016) ... [and correct] several errors made in that book...
^ Chan, Sucheng (August 1984). "Chinese Livelihood in Rural California: The Impact of Economic Change, 1860-1880". Pacific Historical Review. 53 (3): 273–307. doi:10.2307/3639231. JSTOR 3639231. Retrieved December 3, 2023. To this day, Chinese Americans call San Francisco "Dai Fou" (Big City), Sacramento "Yee Fou" (Second City), and Marysville "Sam Fou" (Third City).
^ ^a ^b Tom, Lawrence; Tom, Brian (2020). Gold Country's Last Chinatown: Marysville, California. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 9781467143233.
^ "A CELEBRATION IN CHINATOWN. Barrels of Fire-Crackers and Bushels of Bombs Discharged on Sunday Wind-up of the Chinese New Year's Festivities". cdnc.ucr.edu. Marysville Daily Appeal, Volume XLV, Number 67, 21 March 1882. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "'Bomb Day' touches off proud tradition in Marysville". sfgate.com. March 24, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
^ "New Pixar movie, Turning Red, features NorCal temple". KCRA.com. March 25, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2024.