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To Zetland HallThis Presentation is dedicated to the Members of Paul Chater Lodge of Installed Masters No. 5391 EC

“A visit to Beijing and the Tienjin Masonic Hall”

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Beijing & Tienjin Masonic Hall Visit Year 2000

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Beijing

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Beijing – October 2000

Group A R.W.Bro. P.H.Y. Wong W.Bro. P.J. Nunn W.Bro. E.H. Evans

W.Bro. W.L. Chow Ms H.S.S. Chan W.Bro. C.G. Holgate Ms. W.P. Holgate W.Bro. M.R. Eyeles W.Bro. Y.W. Tsang Bro. M.R.C. Sutherland

Group B W.Bro. B.L. Coak W.Bro. W.S.L. Ng W.Bro. M.C.Rawlinson Ms. L.C. Rawlinson W.Bro. D. Twynham Ms. B. Twynham Bro. R.N. Murby Bro. G. Richardson W.Bro. J.D. Berry Ms. N.S.H. Berry Master. T.P. Berry Ms. E.A. Berry

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Masonic Activity in Beijing

Masonic Hall - 98 Wang Fu Jing Da JiePeking Bodies Constituted on October 1917 under the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, South Carolina (1801)

❖ International Lodge MC 15.6.1916 ❖ Peking Lodge of Instruction 1930 ❖ Ming Te Lodge of Perfection ❖ Tung Te Chapter Rose Croix ❖ Hou Te Council of Kadosh ❖ Chung Te Consistory

Lodges and Orders

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Beijing - Forbidden City

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Beijing Hutong

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Beijing Summer Palace

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The proletariat on guard

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The Great Wall

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Tienjin

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The District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong & the Far East

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Tienjin on the Map

Basic History

▪ The old city has been a garrison town since 1404

▪ Traditionally it is the port for Beijing

▪ Foreign ‘Concessions’ from 1860-1902

▪ The City was held by the Japanese from 1941-1945

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Early Masonic Activities in Tienjin

▪ Commenced with the formation of Union Lodge No. 1951 EC and warranted on16.11.1881

▪ First meeting was held in the English Methodist Mission

▪ The Lodge was Consecrated in June 1882

▪ Held meetings in the Tienjin Club and in August 1890 moved to the British Municipal Council building ‘Gordon Hall’ until 1898

▪ The Council assisted the Lodge to purchase a lot on Race Course Road at nominal cost

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The First Masonic Hall - Race Course Road

The Hall was completed in 1898

Opened on 22 December 1898

Cost: $4,000 Tienjin dollars

Architect: A.W.Harvey Billingham

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Trouble Ahead

▪ 1860 - Western Missionaries entered China combined with civil powers and religious instruction

▪ 1870-1894 – Russia,Japan,Germany, Britain & USA jockeyed for economic advantage

▪ 1898 – Disastrous flooding of the Yellow River devastated Shandong Province was followed by drought

▪ 1900 – Value of China’s industries were destroyed due to cheap imports from the west

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The Boxer Rebellion

▪ Shantung (Shandong) has a long history of rebellion and secret societies

▪ Great era of social insecurity and economic depression

▪ Formation of anti-dynastic and anti-foreign Militia called ‘Yi He Chuan’ (Righteous and Harmonious Fist) modified to ‘Yi He Tuan’ (Righteous & Harmonious Militia) – the ‘Boxers’

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▪ Empress Dowager, Tzu Shi, permitted the Boxers to enter Beijing

▪ Disturbance and anti-foreign attacks increased and the Foreign Legations in Beijing were under threat

▪ 10.6.1900 – A military force expedition headed by the British was sent to Beijing but the Boxers cut them off

▪ The Tientsin area was fortified but three Cossacks and one British soldier broke through the Boxer lines

▪ In June, 5,000 joint forces attacked Boxer controlled areas in Tienjin

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▪ 1900 - Union Lodge suspended meetings between May & November due to the Boxer attacks

▪ 14.8.1900 - Second Expedition Relief Force Column left Tienjin and the siege of Beijing was lifted

▪The Japanese used the Hall during this period as a hospital.

▪ Greater part of the Hall furniture was lost or destroyed

▪ Bro. St.Clair Knox stored the regalia in his residence

▪ Lodge meetings resumed after the defeat of the Boxers

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Two Years after the Boxer’s Defeat▪ 18.7.1902 – Warrant issued for Coronation Lodge No. 2931 EC

▪ 28.2.1906 – Ashlar Lodge of Instruction attached to Union Lodge

▪ 8.8.1907 – Warrant issued for Northern Crown Chapter ▪ attached to Coronation Lodge No. 2931 EC

▪ 3.10.1919 – Warrant for Tienjin Lodge MMM No. 704 EC endorsed by Orient Lodge No. 482 EC Shanghai

▪ 13.9.1922 – Warrant issued for Hykes Memorial Lodge MC

▪ 2.11.1922 – Warrant issued for Lodge Caledonia No. 1300 SC

▪ 1930 - Tongshan Lodge No. 3001 EC moved to Tienjin. 4/20/16

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The Second Masonic Hall

▪ Perfect Ashlar Lodge of Instruction initiated the construction of new premises

▪ Hall Committee decided to rebuild on the same site in Race Course Road

▪ 1.4.1922 – demolition commenced on the old Hall and Gordon Hall was used temporarily

Architects: Messrs. Atkinson & Dallas

Estimate: T.$36,150

Actual: T.$45,000

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The Consecration

▪ A Special meeting of DGL of Northern China EC commenced at 5.30 pm Saturday 21 April 1923 at the new Hall.

▪ DGL was opened by R.W.Bro. H.J. Clarke, DDGM EC.

▪ Chairman of the Trustees & Consecrating Officer was R.W.Bro. K.W.Mounsey, PDDGM EC.

▪ Present: 150 Brethren, representing 42 Lodges and 13 Constitutions.

Bro. H.J. Clarke Bro. K.W.Mounsey

Opening Hymn Zerfliesset heut gelibiebte Bruder

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The Consecration CeremonyThe Consecrating Officer recited:

First Round “ I scatter CORN on this Lodge as a symbol of Plenty & Abundance..”

Second Round – “I pour WINE on this Lodge as a symbol of Joy & Cheerfulness.”

Third Round – “ I sprinkle this Lodge with OIL as a symbol of Peace & Unanimity.”

Fourth Round – “ I scatter SALT on this Lodge, the emblem of Hospitality & Friendship: and may Prosperity and Happiness attend this temple until time shall be no more.’

Fifth Round – The Chaplain burnt INCENSE with prayer

The Ceremony concluded at about 6.40 pm.

Closing Hymn Ihr unsre neunen Leiter

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More Trouble & Destruction

▪ and with it many Tienjin Masons and families homes were searched.

▪ All Charters, books, records, furniture, jewels, individual and Lodge property was confiscated by the Japanese.

▪ The Hall was used as the British & American Relief Centre until March 1943 and then persons (except invalids) were interned into the Wei Hsien Concentration Camp.

▪ On 24 December 1944, the Hall was gutted by fire.

(From a letter by Bro. W.S.Simms dated 6.9.1945 114, Hong Kong Road, Tienjin)

The Pacific War

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Tienjin TodayPhotographs taken of the Masonic Hall in 1999 after 77 years

“The Cat Doesn’t Care – Mao Bu Wen” Restaurant

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Tienjin – 5 October 2000

Race Course Road or Ma Chang Lu – is known as Zhejiang Road where the Masonic Hall is situated.

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Surprise – the Hall was still standing in the year 2000!

1898 1923

2000 20004/20/16

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Former Hall now used as a boutique – “Sense”

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Upper Floor of the Former Hall

FormerTemple Rooms above

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Former Hall - Rooftop and Rear

(Rear)Top left Top Right(Front)

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Old Buildings of Interest in Tienjin Year – 1860 ‘s - Gordon Hall # (Former British Municipal Council) Tienjin Municipal Government Corner Jie Fang Bei Road & Tai An Road

Year – 1903 - Tienjin Club # (Former British Club) Standing C’tee of Tienjin People’s Congress 201 Jie Fang Bei Road & Xu Zhou Road

Year - 1907 – Club Concordia (Former German Club) Tienjin CPPCC Building 273 JFB D Corner Beng Bu Road

Year - 1925 – Tienjin Race Club (Former Race Club) Tienjin Cadre Club 278 Ma Chang Road

Former Club Concordia# Used by Union Lodge No. 1951 EC

Gou bu li bauzi

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would be happy to answer any questions..

Be careful! Trash in - trash out!

Author

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Time’s up.

“Thank you audience!. Take it away…. Sydney…”

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