New Pu Liu Clan Ancestral Hall Introduction
The Liu Family Temple in Xinpu, also known as the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall, is located at No. 230, Heping Street, Xinsheng Village, Xinpu Township, Hsinchu County. In the third year of the Tongzhi era (1864), the Liu clan members from the same lineage in the Xinpu area jointly funded the construction of the ancestral hall, which was completed in April of the sixth year of the Tongzhi era (1867). The Xinpu area was originally named Zhushan or Zhuchampu. After the abolition of the ban on immigrants bringing their families to Taiwan during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, a large number of immigrants from eastern Guangdong began to settle in this area, among them the prominent families of Tsai, Chen, Pan, Zhu, Liu, and Kuo. The Liu clan members who established the Liu Family Temple arrived in this area in the early Qianlong era to begin their development efforts. The primary advocates for the construction of the ancestral hall were Liu Chaoyuan, the fifteenth generation descendant from Shijing Township, Raoping County, Chaozhou Prefecture in Guangdong Province, and Liu Shihe, the seventeenth generation descendant. Liu Rongguang donated the land, while Liu Songmao, Liu Wanyang from Xinpu Street, Liu Tingzhang from Dahanpu, and others contributed funds for the project, which was overseen by Liu Shihe. The Liu Family Temple venerates the common ancestor of the Liu clan, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, and the ancestral spirits of generations past, including Liu Rong, Liu Ronggong, Liu Ronggong's siblings, and the Liu Family Temple itself, forming a collective worshiping organization. This kind of sacrificial community based on the geographical and lineage connections is typical of early immigrant societies and reflects the purposes of survival and defense sought by Hakka immigrants in the initial stages of settlement. The Liu Family Temple is a single-entry, three-horizontal-room courtyard-style building. The "horizontal room" in Hakka architecture refers to what is generally called a protective dragon. The roof of the horizontal room, with both raised eaves and a saddleback, is a rare practice in Taiwan. The central ancestor hall is the core of the building and the main worship space, where the major rituals of spring and autumn are held each year. A low courtyard wall encloses a nearly square front yard that serves as a gathering place for family members. The two side horizontal rooms are the living spaces for descendants. The door frame of the ancestor hall features three plaques: "Liu Clan Ancestral Hall," "Wen Kui," and "En Yuan." Additionally, plaques "Ben Zhi Bai Shi" and "Yuan Yuan Liu Chang" are hung on the beams. "Ben Zhi Bai Shi" was handwritten by Liu Mingdeng, a general in Taiwan, and dated to the sixth year of the Tongzhi era (1867). Inside the hall, the intricately carved shrine is adorned with a plaque reading "Li Zhao Dong Ying," although it does not specify a date. The large wooden structure of the front corridor is similarly finely carved, adding a solemn and magnificent atmosphere to the entrance of the main hall.
