Tuesday Tea / Imperialism, Architecture, and Oberlin: A Brief History of the “Golden Temple”

Join Kevin Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art, for a brief presentation exploring the intriguing history of the “Golden Temple,” a structure that remained in storage at Oberlin College for several decades. The temple’s origins trace back to the Wanfaguiyi Pavilion, an ornate hall constructed within a scaled replica of the Dalai Lama’s Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This architectural marvel was recreated in northern China for the 18th-century Chinese imperial court. The pavilion was itself recreated and exhibited at the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress exposition, after which it was disassembled and stored in Oberlin before being transported to Sweden in 1986. This raises several questions: Why Sweden? Why Oberlin? And why Tibet? Understanding the answers involves examining the concept of architectural reproduction as a microcosm, serving as a tool of imperialist ideology in both 18th-century Qing China and early 20th-century Europe and North America.

Image: Golden Temple of Jehol, 1933. Max Rigot Selling Co., Chicago. Postcard. Oberlin College Archives.