Erjie Wang Gong Temple Introduction
The Erjie Wang Gong Temple has a history of over 200 years. Originally named the Zhen'an Temple, it held a historic event of relocating the temple with a participation of a thousand people, demonstrating the importance of the temple to the local residents. Today, a new temple has been built next to the old one, which has become the Erjie Township Cultural Center, featuring ancient artifacts used in rituals, intricately carved beams and columns, and the history of the temple, making it an important cultural asset in Yilan. The main deity worshipped at the Erjie Wang Gong Temple is the Three Wang Kings, three heroic leaders who resisted the Mongol invasion during the Southern Song Dynasty, who arrived in Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty with the people. They are honored in present-day Erjie Township, Yilan County, with grand celebrations held every year on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month to celebrate Wang Gong's birthday. Among the ceremonies, the fire-walking ritual is the largest of its kind in Taiwan, where burning hot charcoal is sprinkled with salt and rice, and believers carry a palanquin with the deity, walking barefoot on the smoking charcoal as a purification and blessing rite. In addition to the fire-walking, there are also rituals such as the "crowd-child" divination and expressions of gratitude to the various deities in the heavens. These rituals carry local significance and religious meanings of purification, and are promoted in the form of cultural festivals that showcase traditional folk performances and attract participants from all over to this grand religious celebration.
