“Built in 1715, the temple is the only surviving county-level city god shrine from the Qing dynasty [1644-1911],” Chiayi Mayor Tu Xing-zhe said. “Its new status, along with national heritage-listed Chiayi Old Prison, further enriches the cultural tapestry of the city.”
As the official home of the city god in Zhuluo County (1684-1787), the temple once held sway over roughly two-thirds of Taiwan, ranging from Jiali in the southwest to Yilan in the northeast. It houses 786 historical artifacts spanning three centuries, including several heritage-listed items such as two lion-ornamented palanquins, a statue of Zhuluo Magistrate Zhou Zhong-xuan and a plaque bearing the inscription “The Great Path to Spiritual Cultivation.”
“The temple is not just a center of local faith but also a museum of folk art, with its main structure, stonework and koji pottery ornaments crafted by master artisans Chen Zhuan-you, Lin Tien-mu, Shi Tian-fu and Wang Jin-mu,” Tu said.
“We expect to boost Chiayi’s already booming tourism industry with a series of celebratory events marking the temple’s 300th anniversary this year, as well as highlighting 62 cultural and historical sites dotted across the city.” (YHC-JSM)
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