SI TEMPLE

The most common word for temple is

Copyright Julie Vaux  2013 

TIEN TEMPLE

Copyright Julie Vaux 2013 

Just as Houses were sometimes donated to religious orders in Europe or part of them made over into a chapel  as early castles were rebuilt into more comfortable mansions and palaces or chateau in Asia parts of palaces or buildings therein within a compound might become shrines or meditation halls or small temples.

Another European parallel might well be the basilica originally a building for holding court sessions which became the model for the first large Christian churches and cathedrals.

Buddhist Temple SHA CHA Hanzi

SHA / cha is a less common term for  a Buddhist Temple

Copyright Julie Vaux 2013 

Buddhist temples that do not have pagodas or gate towers will probably still have a small stupa or a bell tower / pavilion.

MIAO TEMPLE

Copyright Julie Vaux 2013 

As far as  I can make out from conflicting definitions in the references I have access to Miao is a word originally used to describe audience halls for officials and royalty and  now used for shrines tutelary temples and and Confucian temples. However Confucian "Temples" are usually compounds including study halls and shrines for deified scholars and ancestors of  local clans and sometimes shrines for local deities. I suspect it depends given the on and off hostility between some Taoists and Confucianists on how strict an interpretation of Confucianism is followed and taught at the particular shrine.

Possibly the best place to see Confucian shrines is now Taiwan or South Korea?

I've read but not seen of Indonesian  and Malaysian Shrines being called LI TANG which means something like Ritual Halls. 

GAOKAO

Congratulations to the survivors of the Gaokao. NOW consider this Imperial era exams were far longer and open to men only. AUSTRALIAN Hsc exams are spread out over 3 weeks Americans have their Sat Brits A levels If you think 2 days are hell ... For some of us life is one long test !