Cihe Temple Introduction
Cihe Temple is located in Yuanshan North Village of the township, with the Heavenly Mother as the main deity. Formerly known as Mazu Outside the City, Cihe Temple along with Shuntian Temple are the two major centers of faith in Yuanli. Due to transportation development and urban expansion, Cihe Temple has surpassed Shuntian Temple in both architectural scale and number of worshippers, making it the largest center of faith in Yuanli. Cihe Temple was established in the fifty-third year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, north of the current market on Xiahua Road. In the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign (1773), it was initiated by Huang Zairong, Huang Yinglu, Chen Zhicheng, and others, and was moved to its present location. The main deity worshipped at Cihe Temple is Mazu, while other deities include the Goddess of Childbirth, the Three Mountains King, the City God, Lord Guan, the Jade Emperor, the Xuantian Emperor, the Three Pass Deities, Lord Wenchang, the Great Emperor of Longevity, the Purple Micro Emperor, and the God of the Year. Cihe Temple currently houses many ancient artifacts, including the "Péngshān Cihe Temple Stele," the statue of Mazu on the altar, and items such as the "Thousand-Mile Eye" and "Smooth Wind Ear." There are also an ancient stone incense burner from the thirty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign, a wooden antique altar, and an ancient plaque "Haiguo Biao Ling," which was established in the thirty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign. In the tenth year of the Guangxu reign, a bestowed plaque "With Heaven in Deeds" was conferred for the meritorious service of the Heavenly Mother at Cihe Temple.
