The Chaotian or Chaotien Temple, officially the Chao-Tian Temple,. & is a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

to the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Goddess Mazu in Beigang Township,

Yunlin County Yunlin County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''Yúnlín Xiàn''; Taigi POJ: ''Hûn-lîm-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Yùn-lìm-yen'') is a county in western Taiwan. Yunlin County borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. Constructed in 1700, it became one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan and is known for its extravagant temple architecture. It is visited by more than a million pilgrims every year.

Mazuism

Mazu, the deified form of the medieval Lin Moniang from

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

, has an enthusiastic following on Taiwan. Beigang was one of the most important Taiwanese ports in the 17th century. As Beigang and its economy grew, at the same time the temple grew and expanded. Today the Chaotian Temple at Beigang is an important religious site and pilgrimage destination. Beigang's Mazu tours to other Mazu temples through whole Taiwan every year for visits and inspections.

History

In 1694, a Buddhist monk named Shubi requested that a statue of Mazu be brought to Beigang from the Chaotian Temple in her hometown of

Meizhou Meizhou (, Hakka Chinese: Mòichû) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong province, China. It has an area of , and a population of 3,873,239 million as of the 2020 census. It comprises Meijiang District, Meixian District, Xingning Cit ...

. In 1700, Chen Li-Shum donated a building lot and raised the funds to erect Beigang's own Chaotian Temple. In 1730, the temple was further expanded. In 1770, Penkang Magistrate Hsueh Chao-heng considered that the temple too simple to live up to the dignity of Goddess Matsu. Three years later another reconstruction of the temple started. In 1854 a number of ranking officials initiated a third project, expanding the temple into a palace-type architectural complex. The front wing consisted of worship courtyard and east and west chambers. The second wing was for worship of the Heavenly Mother, third wing for Goddess of mercy; east wing for San-Kuan Heavenly Emperors, west wing for Wenchang God, the 4th wing for Goddess Matsu's parents; east wing for Goddess of Childgiving and west wing, Lang God. Several renovation followed in the 20th century. Beigang Wind Orchestra at Mazu statue of Chaotian Temple

Beigang Wind Orchestra

The Beigang Wind Orchestra was founded in 1928 by Chen Chia-Hu (). On spiritual days the orchestra marches for the Chaotian temple.

Cultural activities

The Chaotian Temple also owns a cultural hall, where concert, dances and other activities take place. On top of the building is a statue of Mazu. The Chaotian Temple also sponsors events like the Beigang International Music Festival. Since 2020 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Buddhist

Liberation Rite of Water and Land The Liberation Rite of Water and Land () is a Chinese Buddhist ritual performed by temples and presided over by high monks. The service is often credited as one of the greatest rituals in Chinese Buddhism, as it is also the most elaborate and requ ...

is sponsored by Chaotian Temple to pray for the eradication of the virus.

References

External links

Chaotian Temple website
* {{coord, 23, 34, 04, N, 120, 18, 16, E, type:landmark_region:TW, display=title 1694 establishments in Taiwan Religious buildings and structures completed in 1694 Mazu temples in Yunlin County Mazu temples built by Buddhists National monuments of Taiwan