Fengtian Temple

Coordinates: 23°33′24″N 120°20′52″E / 23.5567°N 120.34790°E / 23.5567; 120.34790
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Fengtian Temple
奉天宮
Religion
AffiliationTaoism
DeityMazu
Location
LocationXingang Township, Chiayi County
CountryTaiwan
Geographic coordinates23°33′24″N 120°20′52″E / 23.5567°N 120.34790°E / 23.5567; 120.34790
Architecture
Completed1811[a]
Direction of façadeSouth

Xingang Fengtian Temple (Chinese: 新港奉天宮; pinyin: Xīngǎng Fèngtiān Gōng), sometimes romanized as Fongtian Temple, is a temple located in Xingang Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan. The temple is a county-level monument and the destination of the annual Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage.[1][2]

History[edit]

Fengtian Temple after the 1906 Meishan earthquake.

Bengang is the historical name of a major port city along the Beigang River which flourished as both a trade center and a pirate's haven. In 1700, a temple named Tianhou Temple was founded in the city and dedicated to Mazu. However, the Bengang was very prone to flooding, and a flood in 1799[1][3][4][b] destroyed Tianhou Temple completely. Half of the temple relics were taken to the nearby Chaotian Temple in modern-day Beigang, while the other half was taken to Xingang, a new settlement 5 km (3.1 mi) east built by displaced Bengang residents. In Xingang, the relics were temporarily stored inside a small Tudigong temple.[1][7]

In 1811,[1][4][a] Xingang residents built Fengtian Temple to house the rescued relics under the leadership of Qing General Wang De-lu. After the flood, Fengtian Temple and Chaotian Temple argued about who was the true successor to the destroyed Tianhou Temple, so in 1826, Wang negotiated a compromise: the head Mazu statue belonged to Fengtian Temple, the second Mazu statue belonged to Chaotian Temple, and Wang would take the third Mazu statue to his residence in Xibei Village 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Xingang.[c] Even with the agreement, the two temples are still at odds to this day.[3][6]

In 1905, Fengtian Temple was destroyed due to earthquake damage.[d] The temple's restoration lasted from 1906 to 1917 and was led by Wu Haitong [zh], a well-known woodworker of the era.[4][12]

On August 18, 1985, Fengtian Temple was protected as a county-level monument for its "historical, cultural, and artistic value."[12]

In 1988, the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage changed its destination from Chaotian Temple to Fengtian Temple. That year, Dajia's Jenn Lann Temple made changes to the pilgrimage that implied seniority over Chaotian Temple, which angered the latter. Fengtian Temple officials proposed that the pilgrimage should end in Xingang instead, and the pilgrimage has never returned to Beigang ever since.[2][6][13]: 1347–1350 

Architecture[edit]

Cochin ware decorations on the roof of the Sanchuan Hall.

Fengtian Temple is a south-facing complex on County Highway 164 inside downtown Xingang. There are three halls on the central axis: the Sanchuan Hall, Main Haill (for Mazu), and the Rear Hall (for Guanyin). There is one flanking hall on each side housing Wenchang Dijun, Guan Yu, Chenghuangye, and Huye. A modern, four-story[e] hall in the far back contains a variety of other deities.[14]

As with most temples in Taiwan, the temple is built in the Hokkien architectural style. The street-facing Sanchuan Hall, designed by Wu Haitong, has Cochin ware decorations on the swallowtail roof and stone pillars inscribed with various religious symbols.[4]

Traditions[edit]

Celebration of Huye's birthday outside the temple.

Near Lantern Festival, a statue of Mazu is placed in a litter and paraded through Xingang. The ceremony is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage in Chiayi County.[15]

In Taiwanese folk religion, Huye (虎爺) is a tutelary deity in the form of a tiger, said to be the protector of children. In Fengtian Temple, Huye is worshipped on its own altar in the right flanking hall, which differs from most temples that place it at the base of other deities's altars.[16][17]

Japanese plaque[edit]

Fengtian Temple possesses a gold plated plaque from the Imperial House of Japan dating from 1928. The plaque was crafted in Myōshin-ji in Kyoto as a Japanization campaign and was gifted to twenty major temples across Taiwan. Fengtian Temple's plaque is considered the best-preserved copy in Taiwan.[18][19]

Gallery[edit]

  • Altar for Mazu
    Altar for Mazu
  • Altar for Guanyin
    Altar for Guanyin
  • Altar for Huye
    Altar for Huye
  • An incense burner inside the temple
    An incense burner inside the temple
  • A decorated tower on the side of the temple
    A decorated tower on the side of the temple

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Or 1812[1]
  2. ^ Some sources say 1797[5] or 1809.[6]
  3. ^ Wang built Liuxing Temple next to his residence for the statue.[8]
  4. ^ There was no major earthquake recorded in Taiwan in 1905.[9] Japanese architect Toshikata Sano [ja] recorded that Fengtian Temple was already leaning to one side after the 1904 Douliu earthquake.[10] Most buildings in Xingang were destroyed in the 1906 Meishan earthquake.[11]
  5. ^ Written as five-story due to the avoidance of the number four in Chinese culture.

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fengtian Temple.
  1. ^ a b c d e "縣定古蹟奉天宮". 嘉義縣文化觀光局 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b 洪瑩發 (March 22, 2017). "戰後大甲媽祖進香的路線與時間變化". 保庇NOW (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "笨港天后宮正統之爭！朝天宮與奉天宮爭議始末". 保庇NOW (in Chinese (Taiwan)). May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "新港奉天宮．天上聖母元宵遶境". 臺灣宗教百景 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Ministry of the Interior. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  5. ^ "縣定古蹟六興宮". 嘉義縣文化觀光局 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c 劉明岩; 蔡維斌; 黑中亮; 卜敏正; 林宛諭 (April 14, 2018). "北港媽、大甲媽分手30年 就因「回娘家」3個字". United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  7. ^ 北港鎮志 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 北港鎮公所. 1989. pp. 58–60. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "嘉義六興宮". 台灣宗教文化資產 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Ministry of the Interior. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "Historical Seismograms". The Data-base of Historical Seismograms in Taiwan (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central Weather Bureau. November 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  10. ^ "1904年斗六地震-震災圖說(II)". Central Weather Bureau (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "塵封的裂痕 歷史地震第三講： 1906年梅山地震－陷落諸羅十萬家" (PDF). Academica Sinica (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "新港奉天宮". National Cultural Heritage Database Management System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  13. ^ 大甲鎮志（下冊） (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Dajia Township. January 2009. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "各殿介紹". Fengtian Temple (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "新港奉天宮天上聖母元宵遶境". National Cultural Heritage Database Management System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "不坐地上！這虎爺傳救過皇帝　冊封「將軍」坐神桌" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). SET News. January 3, 2019. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  17. ^ 郭書宏 (July 9, 2012). "虎爺將軍聖誕 奉天宮熱鬧慶祝" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). The Merit Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  18. ^ "新港奉天宮日本天皇壽牌基組". National Cultural Database Management System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  19. ^ 王善嬿 (September 9, 2009). "日妙心寺訪奉天宮 拜謁御壽牌" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
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