Tian Hou Temple

Hoi An’s All-Chinese Assembly Hall (會安中華會館)

Like a lot of nerdy little boys, I watched my fair share of old Kung Fu movies when I was younger.

One of the things I always thought strange (but never really questioned) was why the main character always ended up fighting dozens of people at once. It always seemed so unfair.

Another thing I thought strange was a common theme in a lot of these movies that involved Chinese immigrants randomly calling up friends back home when they were having trouble and requesting a martial arts master come help out. 

In Bruce Lee’s Way of the Dragon (猛龍過江) for example, a Cantonese restaurant owner in Rome was having problems with a local crime boss, so he simply called up friends back home in Hong Kong and Bruce Lee suddenly appeared in Rome to help out and kick a bunch of ass. 

It wasn’t until recently that I think I actually figured it out. 

One of the underlying themes of these movies is the shared sense of ‘community’ and ‘brotherhood’ that Chinese people share with each other no matter where they go. This is one of the reasons why you’ll find a “China Town” in most of the world’s major cities.

For most westerners these areas are simply where you go to find amazing authentic Chinese restaurants. There is however much more to a China Town than just the amazing cuisine that you’ll find as within these areas you’ll often find a tight-knit community where people have worked together, helped each other out and prospered despite all the hardships one faces while living in a foreign land.

When we think of a ‘China Town’ we often think about the large sections of London, New York City or Toronto but few people actually realize that you’ll also find these large Chinese communities scattered throughout Asia as well.

In South East Asia you’ll easily find concentrated communities of Chinese immigrants working together, doing business and celebrating their culture in almost every major city and town thanks to the past few hundred years of trade relations and immigration.

One of the ways that the Overseas Chinese community has been able to stick together throughout the centuries has been through the use of Assembly Halls (會館) where people have been able to hang out, celebrate their culture, network, worship, etc. 

The thing about these Assembly Halls is that they were almost always constructed to serve a particular community of immigrants based on where they originally came from. So, even though I made the claim that the people who live and work within the China Town’s around the world are a tight-knit bunch, its also important to realize that the various groups are also often very factionalized and tend to stick to their own.

This is another theme that you might have noticed in Kung Fu movies where rival towns or ethnic groups were constantly battling each other for one reason or another.

So, if you were Cantonese and found yourself in Singapore, you’d probably be spending most of your time with your Cantonese friends and family. The same goes for the Teochew, Hokkiens, Hakka, etc.

This behavior is something that persisted as Chinese immigrant communities grew throughout South East Asia (and the world), so in Hoi An for example, you’ll find Assembly Halls that were constructed specifically for the Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien and Hainanese people. 

The history of Chinese migration to Hoi An though predates all of the Assembly Halls in town by a century or more. So, at a time when there weren’t enough Cantonese people in the area to fund an Assembly Hall, where did people go? 

They had to suck it up and go to the ‘All-Chinese Assembly Hall’, of course. 

The Chinese Assembly Hall was the first of its kind in town and was constructed by a group of immigrants from various regions of Southern China. These groups set aside their petty differences and came together to build the first network of support where they could count on each other for protection as well as offering a place to get together to do business and worship.

Even though the Chinese Assembly Hall isn’t as popular with tourists as the nearby Fujian or Cantonese Assembly Halls, I personally found a visit to this hall to be one of the most interesting.

Not only is it beautifully designed but it also has a long and interesting history that combines the experience and cultural history of all of the early Chinese immigrants to Hoi An.

It also continues to this day to help educate successive generations about their language and their culture.

Before I start talking about this beautiful hall though, if you’d like to know more about Hoi An or its Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls, I recommend taking a look at my introduction to both:

Link: Chinese Assembly Halls Of Hoi An (會安華人會館)

Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (中華會館)

Hoi An’s first Assembly Hall, the “All-Chinese Assembly Hall” was constructed at a time when Chinese immigration to the area was still a new thing and there weren’t enough people to necessitate the individual halls that would later appear. 

Hoi An was a popular port of call for the worlds traders (including the Chinese, the Japanese and the Europeans) who initially only showed up on a seasonal basis. With trade booming and everyone wanting a piece of what Hoi An had to offer, full time warehouses started appearing and the major powers started sending representatives to live in the area year-round. 

With so many people from around the world showing up in Hoi An, it was important for the Chinese immigrants to band together to protect themselves as well as network with each other.  At that time though there were so few people that it didn’t matter where you came from, you had to get along with each other in order to survive and prosper in business. 

In 1715, with funds contributed by people from Fujian, Canton, Hainan, Chaozhou and the Hakka people, construction started on the Assembly Hall, which would be completed in 1741.

It took almost three decades to complete the hall not only due to the fact that it was a large complex but it also included a school to help educate the children of the immigrants who were migrating to the area. 

Originally named the Duong Thong Assembly Hall (洋商會館), or the “Overseas Merchants Assembly Hall”, it has also gone by several other names throughout its history:

  1. “Hội quán Ngũ Bang” (五幫會館) - Five County Assembly Hall

  2. “Chùa Bà” (媽祖廟)  - Mazu Temple

Interestingly, the hall was not only the first Assembly Hall of its kind in Hoi An, but it was also the home of the first temple dedicated to the worship of the Goddess of the Sea, Thien Hau (天后), who is also named Mazu (媽祖). As the home of the first Heavenly Goddess Temple (天后宮) in Hoi An, the hall was a popular place of worship until the Fujian Assembly Hall a few decades later constructed its own version. 

  • Note: Mazu Worship is predominately a Hokkien (Fujian) tradition that spread throughout Southern China, Taiwan and South East Asia due to immigration.

For quite some time the Assembly Hall was the go-to place for all of the Chinese immigrants and merchants living in Hoi An, but as other halls started to be constructed around town, its significance started to decline. The Hokkiens (1757), Teochews (1852), Cantonese (1885) and Hainanese (1891) constructed halls of their own to better serve the needs of their specific groups. 

Despite its waning significance, where the Assembly Hall continued to excel was in its usage as a place of education, especially for the immigrants who made Hoi An their permanent home.

The Chinese Public School, or the Le-Nghia Public School (禮儀學校) continues to this day to be an important educational tool for both Vietnamese and people of Chinese ancestry who come to take nightly or weekend classes to learn Mandarin. 

For most of its history, the Assembly Hall remained an important place of worship for the Goddess of the Sea and for public education, but things changed in 1917 when the Qing Dynasty (清朝) was overthrown back China and the Republic of China (中華民國) was established.

Le-Nghia Public School (禮儀學校)

From this point on, the hall would become much more political in nature as it was well-known that most of the “Hoa” (華人) people in Vietnam were no fans of the Qing rulers. 

Link: Hoa People (Wiki)

In 1928, the hall changed its name to the Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (中華會館) or the “All-Chinese Assembly Hall” and would add a shrine to Sun Yat Sen (孫中山), the “Father of Modern China” (國父) with new decorations on the walls that included some of his quotes. 

From then on, the Assembly Hall ceased to represent only the five groups that originally funded its construction, but anyone of Chinese origin.

Even though the Republic of China experience was short-lived in China (the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949), the hall has surprisingly not changed any of the decorations in the interior or (as it would seem) its allegiance to the ideals of the ROC, which continues to exist today in Taiwan.    

Design

In terms of the design of this hall, there are some noticeable differences in what you’re going to see compared to the other Assembly Halls in Hoi An.

The most noticeable of those differences is that the hall has recently been given a fresh coating of blue paint on the front gate as well as on the eastern and western wings on the inside. 

The blue paint, which is clearly the same colour blue used in the Republic of China flag is shout out to the recent history of the hall and its adoration for Sun Yat Sen.

The thing I personally liked about the color is that it makes the hall stand out from all the other yellow buildings outside while also blending in perfectly with the beautiful blue skies you get in Hoi An. 

The layout is similar to what you’ll have seen around town with the traditional Chinese ‘Two Hall’ (兩殿兩廊式) architectural style, which simply means that you’ll find a Front Hall (前殿) and a Main Hall (正殿) with an Open-Air Courtyard (中程) and two covered halls on both the eastern (左護龍) and western (右護龍) sides.

From the outside, the Front Hall isn’t much to look at apart from its bright blue paint job.

When you walk inside you’ll discover that the hall is much larger than it appears, but there still isn’t really very much in terms of decoration, which isn’t entirely a terrible thing. Most notably you’ll find a plaque above the front door that reads: “The World is Equally Shared by All” (天下為公), one of the most popular quotes used by Sun Yat Sen.

Link: 國父孫中山畢生奮鬥的目標「天下為公」究竟是什麼?(kknews)

Like the nearby Hainan Assembly Hall, this one also features a Worship Hall (拜亭) that is connected to the front entrance of the Main Hall. The “hall” isn’t actually an enclosed room like the others, but a pavilion of sorts that acts somewhat like the front veranda that you’d find on a house.

One of the key features of this addition (in terms of the design) is that it helps to add layers to the roof as its roof is higher than the wings, yet a little shorter than the roof on the main hall.

The interior of the Worship Hall is quite colourful and includes a large traditional plaque that reads “Heavenly Goddess Temple” (天后宮) that was dedicated in 1992. There are also several long benches on either side that provide the perfect spot to hang out and have a chat in the shade on a warm day. 

Another one of the key differences in the design of this hall is that the Guardian Dragons (護龍) on the western and eastern side of the building are both open-air halls that were used for gatherings or events. They appear to be longer than they actually are due to the fact that the “Le-Nghia Mandarin Language Centre” (禮義華文中心), has been constructed in the space between the western wing and the front hall.

Both of the wings on either side are large open-air spaces that are largely empty and are used primarily for gatherings or events. You’ll also find rooms to the rear on each of the wings which contain a shrine dedicated to the founders of the shrine and another to the Chinese sage Confucius (孔子).

Unfortunately on the day that I visited the hall, the rear-garden area was closed to visitors.

The thing that attracted me to the garden was that there was a large mural of Chinese calligraphy set upon the back wall of the main hall that was dedicated to the sayings of Sun Yat Sen.

Heavenly Goddess Temple (天后宮)

The Main Hall of the Assembly Hall is named the “Heavenly Goddess Temple”, which is a common name for temples dedicated to the Chinese goddess of the sea, Mazu (媽祖).

As I mentioned earlier, the shrine dedicated to the popular goddess was the first of its kind in Hoi An, but when the Hokkien people constructed their Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (福建會館), they constructed their own version of the temple with their Assembly Hall.

That might seem a bit unfair, but the goddess is widely considered not only a patron saint of the sea, but for the Hokkien people as well. So it was important for them to have their own shrine to the goddess. Nevertheless, the shrine to Thien Hau has been a constant fixture in this Assembly Hall for the past three centuries. 

As is tradition, accompanying the goddess you’ll find her two guardian demon friends Thousand Mile Eye (千里眼) and Wind-Following Ear (順風耳) enclosed within glass cases on either side of the front entrance to the main hall. Known in Vietnam respectively as “Thien Ly Nhan” and “Thuan Phong Nhi”, the green-skinned Thousand-Mile Eye keeps his eyes open for danger while the red-skinned Wind-Following Ear is always listening for calls for help.

Together with the Goddess of the Sea, they help protect people at sea. 

Link: Qianliyan (千里眼) | Shunfeng’er (順風耳)

Once you enter the shrine room you’ll notice a large statue of Mazu enclosed within a golden throne in the main area with two smaller shrines on either side. The shrine to the right is dedicated to Thần Tài (財神老爺), otherwise known as “The God of Wealth” and on the right you’ll find ‘Spirit Tablets’ (牌位) dedicated to Anti-Japanese resistance fighters from the area who went to China to battle the Japanese. 

Link: Spirit Tablets (神位)

On the altar in front of the main shrine, you’ll find another statue of the goddess surrounded by flowers and candles with some space left for offerings.

The main shrine isn’t actually all that large, but there are quite a few small details to take note of, so if you’re lucky enough to be in the shrine room at a time when there aren’t many people, you should probably take time to inspect some of those finer details.  

Getting There

 

Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient. Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable. 

While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about getting cheated. 

Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An

Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere! 

The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot.

When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket.

The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.

With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town. 

Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)

The All-Chinese Assembly Hall is located almost directly in the centre of the historic pedestrian area of Hoi An. Located between the Fujian and Cantonese Assembly Halls, you’ll find quite a few cafes, restaurants and shops near the hall. There are also usually vendors outside on the sidewalk selling things. 

Address: 64 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

The hall is open from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.


Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple (香山天后宮)

You might have noticed that there is certainly no shortage of temples in Taiwan. You may find it hard to believe, but places of worship even outnumber the amount of convenience stores throughout the country.

With over 12,000 registered places of worship throughout the nation, you’re never going to be too far from one, and the best thing about them is that you’re always invited to walk in and check it out. 

As this blog has become somewhat of a resource for people wanting to learn more about Taiwan’s religious scene, I feel like it has become somewhat of a personal responsibility of mine to go a bit further than simply offering a simple paragraph or two explanation about each temple that I write about, which is most often the case on many other websites.

This does however pose a bit of a problem: How should I go about introducing these temples to the outside world? Should I focus only on the popular tourist stops? Should I focus on only the most historic? Or should I focus on some of the most obscure? All of these interest me, but with thousands to choose from, its not easy to decide which to devote my time to.

Fortunately, now that I’ve been doing this for a few years, I feel like I’ve covered most of the popular tourist stops, so I’m a bit more free to spend time visiting and learning about some of the lesser known places of worship that interest me (and hopefully others as well) and then introducing them to a wider English-speaking audience. 

Today’s post is about one of those lesser known places of worship, but is one that shares a name that might be familiar to a lot of people and is a historic temple that has been the focal point of its community for the past 250 years. 

With over 12,000 temples in Taiwan, it shouldn’t surprising you to learn that many of them often share the same name and likewise associated with each other through a religious network.

Take Taiwan’s most famous temple for example - the Mengjia Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺) is actually just one of over a dozen temples that share the same name in Taiwan. Likewise in almost every major city or town in Taiwan, you’ll be sure to find a Confucius Temple (孔廟), a Qingshui Temple (清水宮), a City God Temple (城隍廟) and a Tian Hou Temple (天后宮) - all of which serve a specific purpose.  

Taipei’s Longshan Temple might be the most well-known with foreign travellers, but if you ask a local, most are quite partial to Taiwan’s “Tian Hou Temples” (天后宮). The nation is home to almost fifty branches which are part of a larger network of almost a thousand places of worship dedicated to “Mazu” (媽祖), who (among many other titles) is often called “Tian Hou” (天后) or the “Goddess of Heaven”. 

Taiwan’s first 'Tian Hou Temple' was constructed in the early 1600s on the offshore Peng Hu Islands (澎湖) and would appear for the first time on the Taiwanese mainland a few decades later in 1664 in Tainan. In the ensuing three and a half centuries, dozens more would be constructed throughout the country and Mazu worship would become the biggest game in town.

Today, the most well-known of those temples are situated in Tainan, Lukang and Taipei - each of which is a large, historic place of worship that attracts visitors from all over. This however doesn’t mean that the dozens of other ‘Tian Hou’ Temples in Taiwan aren’t as important or attractive to tourists. They are often just small temples that act as the focal point of small (more often than not) coastal communities where people gather at the temple to give thanks to the Goddess of the Sea. 

Hsinchu’s ‘Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple’ is a perfect example of one of these places of worship that has been instrumental in bringing the local community together for the past two and a half centuries, becoming the most important structure in town and a place where you’re sure to find lots of locals hanging out.  

History

Modern settlement in the Xiangshan (香山) coastal area started in the 1600s with large numbers of Hokkien people making the voyage across the Taiwan Strait from the Quanzhou (泉州) region of Fujian. Coming from what was an impoverished area, the immigrants brought little with them in terms of possessions, but perhaps more importantly brought with them their language, culture, cuisine and spiritual beliefs.

Settlement in the area was predominately based on the fisheries and trade with China, so it goes without saying that Mazu, the goddess of the sea, and a deity hailing from the Fujian area was a popular figure with local residents.

In 1683 (康熙22年), immigrants brought a statue of Mazu with an incense burner from a temple in Fujian to assist with spiritual worship. It wouldn’t be until 1770 (乾隆35年) however that the statue would officially take up residence in the newly completed Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple. 

It is important when talking about the history of Taiwanese temples to remember that even though a temple may have been ‘established’ on a specific date, it rarely means that it is the same building that you see today. This fact remains true with this temple as the building that you can see today is a recent reconstruction. Generally speaking though, there has been a Tian Hou Temple on this site for the past two and a half centuries. 

The first reconstruction of the temple took place in 1825 (道光5年), then again in 1876 (光绪2年), 1922 (大正11年) and 1992 (民國81年). In the years between all of these reconstructions, the temple was also renovated and repaired on several occasions due to the harsh winds that Hsinchu is known for (in addition to typhoons, earthquakes, etc.)

When the Japanese took control of Taiwan in 1895, the temple was converted into a makeshift police station for a short period of time. Unfortunately due to a lack of maintenance the wooden beams in the building started to crack which meant that it would have to be rebuilt yet again.

A few years later when the Kominka policy (皇民化運動) of forced ‘Japanization’ took effect, the temple’s historic statues, bronze bells and incense burners were all destroyed. 

As I mentioned above, the history of a temple typically dates back to when it was first established, but in this case, the statues and incense burner housed within were much older. This means that their loss was heart breaking for the local people who had no other choice but to comply with their colonial masters.

When the Second World War and the Japanese Colonial Era ended, the statues in the shrine were eventually replaced, the temple once again was renovated a few times and things at the temple returned to normal. 

In 2004, the Hsinchu government designated the temple as a protected historic property

Design

Constructed using Southern Fujian-style Architecture (閩南風格), the Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple is considerably smaller than many of its contemporaries throughout Taiwan. Its size though shouldn’t be an important factor considering that it is so beautifully designed with traditional architecture and also features beautifully painted murals and decorations which combine to make it an attractive place to visit.

Located next to the coastal expressway, the small temple commands a large 400 square meter plot of land with a large public square and parking lot adjacent to the expressway. In the square that lies between the parking lot and the temple you’ll find a stage where the temple occasionally puts on performances. The square also provides ample space for events such as when other temples come by for a visit or during the various holidays held throughout the year.

As you approach the temple from the front, you’ll notice a small, but beautifully decorated front facade that opens up to a courtyard-style palace. As is tradition, the temple faces the northwest (北朝西北), looking toward the western coast of the country toward the Taiwan Strait - allowing Mazu to always have her eyes looking toward the ocean.  

The official design of the temple is referred to as a “Two-Entrance, Three Hall” (二進三間) layout, but that is something new which refers to a separate hall that was added much later. The original layout was in the traditional ‘Two-Hall and Two-Passage-Way’ (兩殿兩廊式) design, which is one of my favourite styles of temple design thanks to the usage of an open-air courtyard in the interior that allows for natural light. 

Link: 廟宇的格局

To explain the design in layman’s terms, the layout was constructed according to Feng Shui for great energy and is rectangular in shape with two different sections. The entrance area forms one of the ‘halls’ (殿) with an open-air courtyard in the middle. There are two covered ‘walkways’ (走廊) on either side that lead to the rear hall where the main shrine is located. 

(See the photo above for reference)

As the temple grew however a third ‘hall’ was added to the right of the main temple and an entrance is provided via the right passageway as well as at the front. This hall not only includes an additional two shrines, but also an office at the rear for the temple administration. 

The first thing you’re probably going to notice about the temple is its intricately designed roof, which may seem like a common design in Taiwan, but don’t let the fact that this style is so prevalent here distract you from how amazing they are - The people of Taiwan have expertly preserved this culturally-rich style of architecture, which is important because in neighbouring China, it has (in many cases) become a distant memory.

One of the most prominent features of Hokkien architectural design is the Swallowtail Roof (燕尾脊), which has an upward-curved ridge shaped like the tail of a swallow. In the case of this temple, the ridge is split into two different sections with the lower section curving at a much higher degree than the upper section. The roof is also adorned with porcelain carvings (剪瓷雕) of historic figures, mythical creatures and flowers.  

The front facade of the temple is beautifully designed and the recent paintings of the door gods and the murals are quite colourful. As this is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Mazu, you won’t find stone guardian dogs at the entrance. Instead there are Stone Drums (抱鼓石) on either side of the main door. Above the drums, you’ll find two beautifully carved traditional wooden windows and above the door a plaque that reads “Tian Hou Temple” (天后宮). 

On the main doors you’ll find Qin Shubao (秦瓊) and his counterpart Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭), two popular generals from the Tang Dynasty, acting as door gods - Qin is the lighter skinned general who is carrying a sword while Yuchi has dark skin and carries batons. The two figures are commonly used as door gods thanks to a legend that tells of how they guarded the emperor from ghosts allowing him to rest peacefully.

On the Dragon Door (龍門), you’ll find a Eunuch (宦官) holding a peony and an incense burner while the Tiger Door (虎門) on the other side features a Palace Lady (宮女) holding a teapot. Both of these door gods are used to indicate that there is a royal palace on the inside. 

 In Chinese, they say “龍門進虎門出“ (lóng mén jìn hǔ mén chū) which means that you should enter a temple through the “Dragon Door” (龍門) and exit via the “Tiger Door” (虎門). The reason for this is because entering the dragon symbolizes ”praying for happiness” while exiting through the tiger is thought to “ward off bad luck or misfortune”.

It is essentially a symbolic way of purifying yourself before you enter a temple. If you however were unaware of the rules and you entered through the tiger door, it would be considered to be bringing misfortune both for yourself and the temple, and thats not a good thing. 

Likewise, the middle door (中門) is a space reserved for the gods or high-ranking government officials. If you’re wandering around a temple and you walk through the middle door, it could be considered bad luck because you’re blocking the view of the gods. 

So, if you want to enter a temple, you should enter through the ‘Dragon Door’, which is on the far right. If you want to leave the temple, you should exit via the ‘Tiger Door’ on the left and if you want to make the gods angry, just walk through the middle door and try your luck. 

Once you’ve passed through the doors, you’re going to be met with a large table for offerings and beyond that an incense urn in the middle of the open-air courtyard. From there you’ll see the passage-ways on either side of the courtyard with larger than life statue-like figures of Qianliyan (千里眼) and Shunfeng’er (順風耳), or “Thousand-Mile Eye” and “Wind-Following Ear”, Mazu’s all-seeing and all-hearing guardian demons facing each other on either side.

Once you’ve passed by Mazu’s cool-looking, yet scary guardians, you’ll have reached the main shrine area. The shrine is split up into three different sections, dedicated to different gods. 

Left Shrine

The shrine on the left is dedicated to the Earth God who is known here in Taiwan either as ‘Tudigong’ (土地公) or Emperor Fude (福德正神). If there is any god in Taiwan who is as popular (or even more popular) than Mazu, it would be the Earth God. There are thousands of temples and shrines all over Taiwan dedicated to him. 

Middle Shrine 

The middle shrine is dedicated to Mazu and has a number of depictions of the goddess sitting within the closed off shrine. On the table in front of the goddess you’ll find an alternating group of folk-religion deities which seems to be different almost every time you visit. 

On either side of the shrine, you’ll once again find some statues of Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er protecting Mazu.

If you have good eyes, you might want to take a peak under the table at the main shrine to check out the ferocious Tiger General (虎爺) who adds another layer of protection for the goddess. 

Above the shrine you’ll see a plaque that reads “Prosperous Ocean Nation” (靈昭海國) - The plaque dates back to 1877 and was placed in the temple when the port of Xiangshan started bringing riches to the area

Unfortunately with the main shrine, you are not only blocked from approaching by a gate but the goddess is also shielded by a screen that doesn’t allow you to see her too clearly. There could be any number of reasons for this, but it is likely that the Mazu statues are quite historic and they are trying to protect her from thieves.  

Yes, there are weirdos in Taiwan who will steal statues of deities and sell them on the black market or hold them for ransom.

Right Shrine  

The shrine on the right is dedicated to the Goddess of Child-Birth (註生娘娘), who is a goddess that you’ll almost always find accompanying Mazu. The purpose of the goddess, I’m sure you’ve figured out, is to provide a bit of spiritual assistance with childbirth. 

Second Shrine Room

The adjacent hall is home to two separate shrines - The shrine against the wall is full of ‘Guangming Lanterns’ (光明燈) dedicated to followers of the temple. The main shrine in the room however is an interesting one with an odd collection of figures placed together. 

The first figure is the Martial (武) representation of the God of Wealth (財神) - This is the god you’ll want to pray to if you’re looking for wealth and are involved in travel, car sales, farming, fishing, military, technology, etc.  

The next figure is named Jiutian Xuannu (九天玄女), who is known as the “Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens” and is regarded as the Taoist goddess of sex, war and longevity. In this temple she appears in human form, but you’ll notice that she has a feather on her head - This is because she often transforms into a bird with a human face. 

The third figure is the God of Literature (文昌帝君), who actually is another one of Taiwan’s most popular deities. If you’re a student, you’ll want to visit him before you have an important exam. 

In front of them you’ll see a statue of the Taisui God (太歲星君) that represents the current year of the Chinese zodiac.

The placement of these gods might seem a bit random as they’re not commonly found sitting together, but given that we have the martial representation of the god of wealth, and the goddess of war, its safe to say that their placement serves a very important historic purpose as Xiangshan was once home to an important port during the Qing Dynasty and lots of economic activity took place in the area, which is a specialty when it comes to this trio.  

Getting There

 

Address: #191, Alley 420, Chunghua Road, Section 5, Xiangshan District, Hsinchu City. 

(新竹市香山區中華路五段420巷191號)

The temple tends to attract quite a few day-tripping visitors on the weekends - This is because it is a short distance from the historic Xiangshan Train Station (香山車站), Haishan Fishing Harbour (海山漁港) and the Xiangshan Wetlands (香山溼地), which are all included in a popular bicycling route along the coast for people wanting a bit of exercise and some time out of the city. 

If you’re planning on visiting the area and want to make use of public transportation, you can simply take the train to Xiangshan Train Station and from there either rent a bicycle from the vendors nearby or grab a Youbike and start your tour of the area.

It is important to remember though that not all trains stop at the station, so if you’re travelling south on the express train, you’ll have to get off at Hsinchu Station and transfer. Likewise, if you’re travelling north, you should get off at Zhunan Station (竹南車站) and transfer to a local train. Xiangshan Station is only a few stops away from both. 

If you have your own means of transportation, you could also drive your car down the West Coast Highway (西部濱海公快速公路), park it near the station or the temple and from there ride your bicycle up and down the coast.

If you are driving south though you’re going to have to pass by the temple, take the Xiangshan Exit and then double back to reach the temple. Make sure to copy the address above in Google Maps or on your GPS to map out the best route. 

If you’re not interested in riding a bike and don’t feel like checking out any of the other places of interest in the area, but want to stop by the temple, never fear, there is a large, free parking lot where you’ll be able to park your car or scooter. While you’re there though, I recommend at least climbing to the top of the elevated highway platform to check out the view of the beautiful Xiangshan Wetlands from above. 

The Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple may not be as large or as well-known as its Taipei, Lukang or Tainan counterparts, but in terms of its history and close relation to the local community, its importance cannot be understated.

While most of the other Tian Hou Temples in Taiwan are some of the nation’s busiest places of worship, activity at this one is a bit more subdued which if you ask me makes it much more accessible, affording guests the opportunity to enjoy all of the finer details.

If you find yourself in the Hsinchu area, you should definitely take the short train ride to Xiangshan Station and then make your way over to this historic temple.

There is of course quite a bit that you can do on a day-trip to the Xiangshan area, so if you want to get some exercise and enjoy some beautiful scenery, you should definitely consider stopping by. 


Bangka's Top Three Temples (艋舺三大廟門)

While Taipei City as a whole is known for its ‘Top Three Temples’, the city’s historic Bangka District (艋舺區), which is now more commonly known as Wanhua (萬華區), boasts (at least) two of those top three, and is so important to the history and development of Taipei that locals will insist that it has its own dedicated list.

“Bangka,” which is pronounced as ‘Báng-kah in Taiwanese Hokkien, or simply as “Monga” (艋舺) in Mandarin, is historically-speaking one of the most important areas of Taipei, and it’s long history is steeped in both the culture and religions of Taiwan. Once one of the most commercially successful areas of Taipei, thanks to its proximity to the Xindian River (新店溪), Bangka has served as a centre of commerce for over three hundred years. Originally settled by the tribes of Taiwan’s Plains Indigenous Peoples (平埔族), followed by Hokkien (閩南人) immigrants, and most recently by Chinese refugees of the civil war, the district has been in a constant state of change over its modern history, with the influx of newcomers, who brought with them their own ways of life, and of course, their religious practices.

Nevertheless, despite the district being home to Taipei’s hip and modern Shibuya-like shopping district, Ximending (西門町), as well as a number of night markets and historic attractions, it is a neighborhood that sadly finds itself in decline, with an aging population, high rates of unemployment, and seedy underbelly, all of which are issues that the local government aims at combatting in order to help revive its fortunes. That being said, if you are visiting Taipei and want to experience the history of the city, there is no better place to visit than Bangka - this area is truly unlike anywhere else in the city and walking around, you’re likely to have distinct feeling that you’ve travelled back in time to an older, livelier and somewhat seedier version of one of Asia’s most important cities where its places of worship have been integral parts of the daily lives of its residents for hundreds of years.

Like most of the buildings in the district, the places of worship in Bangka are historical relics that share an interconnected relationship with the various groups of immigrants who have made their way Taiwan over the past few centuries, and made the most of their lives in a new land helping to forge Taiwan into the vibrant nation that it is today.

When it comes to the Top Three temples of Bangka there is a bit of inconsistency in both the Chinese-speaking world as well as that in the opinion of foreign visitors as to which temples actually belong on the list. While others may disagree, my list will take into consideration what the majority consider the 'Top Three' but I'll also include the temples which often make the list as well as provide links to my posts about each of the temples for further details.

Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺)

Longshan Temple is probably Taiwan's most well-known temple - The temple is one of Taiwan's busiest places of worship and is always jam-packed with tourists who come to view this beautifully designed and well-preserved temple.

The temple has a history that dates back to 1738 and like Bao-An temple, also has a close relationship with the Hokkien immigrants who came to Taiwan several centuries ago. Longshan Temple is primarily dedicated to Guanyin (觀音菩薩), the Buddha of Compassion, but like many other places of worship in Taiwan has shrines set up to Taoist and Chinese Folk Religion deities making it a very convenient temple for the faithful of Taiwan.

When it comes to design, this temple is second to none and is one of the most beautiful specimens of Chinese-style temple architecture in Taiwan, if not the whole world.


Qingshan Temple (艋舺青山宮)

Qingshan Temple is one of the most interesting temples in Taipei and its Qingshan King Festival is one of the most lively Temple events on the yearly calendar. The temple dates back to 1854 and if the temple hadn't of been built, Bangka would be a completely different place than it is today.

Interestingly, the temple sits in the middle of what is known as 'Taipei's First Street' (台北第一街) and is near the former wharf which made the Bangka district an economic powerhouse.

The temple is dedicated to the Qingshan King (青山王), a historical figure from China's warring states period and is thought to have the ability to cure sickness and disease. The king is also well known for his ability to drive out evil and when he comes out of his temple once a year to inspect the district, the festival that follows is one of the coolest cultural events that you'll ever experience

If it was left up to me, this temple would be on the list of not only the top temples in Bangka and Taipei, but the top three of Taiwan. A visit to the temple comes highly recommended!


Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖)

Qingshui Temple is often considered to be one of the temples on the list of the 'Top Three' in Taipei. The temple is dedicated to Master Qingshui (清水祖師), a popular Buddhist monk and folk-hero whose worship, like the Hokkien immigrants themselves was imported to Taiwan.

The temple makes the list as one of the 'Top Three' due to its age and the important relationship it has played throughout history with a specific group of immigrants who have made the Bangka (艋舺) district the special place it is today.


Honourable Mention: Taipei Mazu Temple (台北天后宮)

Taipei's Tian Hou Temple, which is often also referred to as Taipei's Mazu Temple (台北媽祖廟) is often added to the list of the 'Top Three Temples' of Bangka. Its inclusion on the list is debatable but what isn't is the interesting history the temple has experienced since its construction and how it has been able to endure over the past 270 years.

The temple is situated within the busy Ximending Shopping District (西門町) and is unlike the other larger temples as it is somewhat hidden from the street. The temple is extremely popular with tourists from Japan and although guide books don't spend much time talking about it, it is one of the more interesting temples in the city to visit!