Nanfangao Jin'an Temple (Mazu of Gem Coral) Introduction
Jin'an Temple, home to the foundational Mazu, has a history of over 200 years, and its solemn atmosphere brings peace to the soul. Located near the third fishing port of Nanfangao along the Sunan Highway, it is said that in the 19th century, to escape the northeast monsoon, a boat from Tangshan brought Mazu from their cabin to an inland stone cave for worship. Ultimately, Mazu decided to stay in this location to bless the fishermen. In 1975, due to the government's establishment of a military zone in Beifangao, fishermen were collectively relocated to Nanfangao. Because of this relocation, fishermen hoped to move Mazu along with them, but the result of divination showed that Mazu was unwilling to leave Beifangao. Therefore, they could only leave the statue of Mazu in the original temple and, following her instructions, rebuilt Jin'an Temple by the port of Nanfangao as a faith base for the immigrants. In 2006, a coral merchant was instructed in a dream by Black-faced Mazu to donate deep-sea coral. After visiting temples all over Taiwan, he discovered that the Black-faced Mazu of Jin'an Temple was indeed the one from his dream, so he carved and donated a unique coral Mazu statue worldwide. This coral Mazu stands 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighs a total of 600 kilograms, crafted with coral gemstones and gold into a finely detailed, solemn, and compassionate figure of Mazu, showcasing her grand divine power and blessing the faithful who come to worship.
