temple, shrine

廟 is composed of 广 (wide) and 朝 (morning). 广 is a pictograph of a large house, while 朝 means early morning. In ancient times, the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords would offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth at sunrise in the early morning. This gradually evolved into a guiding principle for folk sacrificial practices. Therefore, 廟 is used to mean a building for offering sacrifices to ancestors or for enshrining gods and Buddhas.