Erjiefang Wang Temple Introduction
Erjie Wang Gong Temple has a history of over 200 years, originally named Zhen'an Temple. It has hosted a significant historical event of relocating the temple for thousands of people, reflecting the importance local residents place on the Wang Gong Temple. Today, the new temple is built next to the old temple, which has become the Erjie Cultural Center, housing ancient ritual artifacts, exquisitely carved beams and columns, and temple history, making it an important cultural asset in Yilan. The main deity worshipped at Erjie Wang Gong Temple is the Three Kings of the Ancient Public, three heroic leaders who resisted the Mongolian invasion during the Southern Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, they were brought to Taiwan by people who crossed the sea, and they are now enshrined in what is today Erjie Township of Yilan County. An elaborate birthday celebration for Wang Gong is held every year on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month. Among the ceremonies, the fire-walking ritual is the largest folk event of its kind in Taiwan, where scorching hot charcoal is sprinkled with salt and rice. Devotees carry a palanquin with the deity, walking barefoot on the smoking charcoal as part of a ritual to dispel bad luck and seek blessings. In addition to fire walking, there are rituals such as the possession of a spirit medium and expressing gratitude to the deities of heaven, all of which carry local characteristics and religious significance of purification. These rituals are also promoted in the form of a cultural festival, highlighting traditional folk performances and operas, attracting people from various places to participate in this grand religious celebration.