Nanjing Temple, Lukang Introduction
Nanjing Temple, according to the "Changhua County Chronicle," was built in the 37th year of Qianlong (1772) by merchants from Nanjing in Zhangzhou, Fujian. It is located next to the Wang Ye Temple and is primarily dedicated to the worship of Guan Sheng Emperor. The Nanjing merchants invited the ancestral temple deity, Guan Sheng Emperor, to Taiwan, and initially established the temple on the banks of Lukang Harbor (the current temple site, where boats were once anchored). Originally, it served as a center of faith exclusively for Zhangzhou immigrants in Taiwan. Over time, as Zhangzhou people continued to develop in the mainland, it has now become a multi-ethnic temple for the public. Nanjing Temple primarily worships Guan Sheng Emperor (reverently referred to as Fumo Dadi), alongside the deities Guan Ping and Zhou Cheng as the guardians on either side. The temple also enshrines Wen Kui Star, Commander Xie, Lord Ma, the legendary steed Chitu, the formidable Qilong Yanyue Dao of 81 jins, and various military officials. Guan Sheng Emperor, known by the personal name Yu and courtesy name Yunchang, originally named Changsheng, hailed from Hedong's Jieli in the Three Kingdoms period. He is revered for his loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness, alongside Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, as part of the legendary Triple Oath of the Peach Garden, earning him lasting admiration. Guan Sheng Emperor is one of the Five Wenchang, revered by Confucianism as Wenheng Shengdi. Historical records state: "One person from Shandong wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals (Confucius); one person from Shanxi studied it (Guan Sheng Emperor)." Hence, he is referred to as both "Master Guan" and "Master from Shanxi." He is honored as a semi-saint and semi-wise figure; with exceptional martial skills, high integrity, and dual mastery in both literature and martial arts, scholars revere him as the deity of education and the protector of students.
