Guan'ao Longfeng Temple ( zh, t=官澳龍鳳宮, s=官澳龙凤宫, first=t, p=Guān'ào Lóngfèng Gōng) is a temple located in Jinsha Township,

Kinmen County Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It lies roughly east of the city of Xiamen in Fujian, from which it is separate ...

, Fujian. The temple's main deity is the sea goddess

Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...

History

The temple was founded in 1611, making it one of the oldest Mazu temples in Kinmen; at the time, it only housed one

and was known as Tianfei Temple (天妃廟). A nearby temple named Fengshan Temple (鳯山寺), which was dedicated to , was initially located on a beach but collapsed from damage by the ocean. After being moved inland, Fengshan Temple was taken by ROC forces during the

Retreat of the Republic of China to Taiwan The retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan (), also known as the Kuomintang's retreat to Taiwan or the Great Retreat () in Taiwan, refers to the exodus of the remnants of the internationally recognized Kuomintang-ruled ...

. Therefore, the statue was moved into Tianfei Temple in 1949, and the temple was renamed to Longfeng Temple. The new name, which translates to "

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

temple", is a reference to these two deities. On September 26, 2007, Longfeng Temple was protected as a county-level monument.

Worship

Longfeng Temple has three statues of

nicknamed Meili, Meihua, and Meilian; each has a different birthdate, but are collectively celebrated on the 23rd day of the third month in the

Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar ��曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar ��曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar ��曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...

. There are two statues of Guangze Zunwang. The smaller one is the one originally in Fengshan Temple. The larger one's base and hat is said to have floated to Kinmen from Mainland China and was worshipped without a statue. Then, a straw cape maker claimed that Guangze Zunwang wanted a "body", so a piece of camphor was taken from a dry well and carved into a statue. There is also a statue of Guangong, which used to be placed in another temple named Chicheng Temple (赤埕宮) that was abandoned. Other statues worshipped include

Baosheng Dadi Baosheng Dadi is a Deity of Medicine worshiped in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. The deity is very popular in Fujian, Taiwan and the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Historical Personage Wu Tao or Wu Ben () was born in the villag ...

Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...

Zhusheng Niangniang Songzi Niangniang (, "The Maiden Who Brings Children"), also referred to in Taiwan as Zhusheng Niangniang (), is a Taoist fertility goddess. She has been identified with many historical figures. She is often depicted as Guan Yin herself in drawing ...

, Shancai Tongzi,

Yunü Yunü () is a goddess in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with her male counterpart Jintong (Golden Boy), are favored servants of the Jade Emperor and Zhenwudadi. They are originally from the Taoist or Daoist Religion. ...

, Liwangye (黎王爺), Xingwangye (邢王爺), Gaowangye (高王爺), Qiuwangye (邱王爺), Yajinggong (壓境公), and Yajingniang (壓境娘).

Architecture

Historically, Longfeng Temple was the primary temple in the area, so the temple was built extravagantly. The rectangular complex has two halls that are seven ''kaijian'' (eight columns) wide in a layout that is similar to

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

palace architecture. The central courtyard has a stage for plays, likely to protect it from marauding pirates. The interior has a variety of paintings and wooden sculptures of historic value. Most of the structural supports date from when the temple was reinforced in 1970.

References

{{authority control 1611 establishments in Taiwan Jinsha Township Mazu temples in Taiwan Religious buildings and structures completed in 1611 Temples in Kinmen County

History

Worship

Architecture

See also

References