The Tianhou or Mazu 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

Goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

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 ...

, the Chinese Goddess of Sea and Patron Deity of fishermen, sailors and any occupations related to sea/ocean. It is located in Xinwu District,

Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...

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 ...

History

The area of Xinwu was settled by Mazu-worshipping

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 capi ...

ese immigrants during the mid-18th century, the

Qianlong Era The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

of the

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

. The Tianhou Temple was established in 1826 (the sixth year of Qing's

Daoguang Era The Daoguang Emperor (; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanxong of Qing, born Mianning, was the seventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning ...

), with its location supposedly pointed out by the goddess. Its idol came from the Chaotian Temple in Beigang. The original small mud structure has since been rebuilt or renovated in 1878, 1905, 1957, 1984, and 2002. The bronze statue of Mazu was erected in 2002. It is high and 72tons in weight. It is protected by smaller statues of Mazu's

door god Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu ( ) and Yulü () under the H ...

s and guardians

Qianliyan Qianliyan is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu. Name The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-Mile" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more genera ...

and

Shunfeng'er Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu. Name The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...

. It is the 2nd- tallest statue of Mazu on Taiwan and the 3rd-tallest in the world.

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External links

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Photographs of the statue and temple
in 2010 by Josh Fahler 1826 establishments in Taiwan Religious buildings and structures completed in 1826 Mazu temples in Taiwan Temples in Taoyuan City {{Taiwan-religious-struct-stub

History

See also

References

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External links