Beidou Dian'an Temple Introduction
Beidou Dian'an Temple, along with Changhua Nanyao Temple and Lukang Tianhou Temple, is known as one of the three major Mazu temples in Changhua County. Dian'an Temple was originally the Dongluo Street Tianhou Temple (the old site is located in the old Mei Village of Xizhou Township), established during the Kangxi period. It is the oldest Mazu temple in southern Changhua. However, in the 11th year of Jiaqing (1806), due to floods and wars, Dongluo Street was destroyed, and the residents migrated in large numbers to "Baodou," reconstructing the Tianhou Temple, with the meaning of "establishing residence and bringing peace to the people." The "Tianhou Temple" then became known as "Dian'an Temple." During the Qing Dynasty, Beidou Street was the most prosperous area in southern Changhua, leading to the development of a large community of belief surrounding Dian'an Temple, covering today’s Beidou Township as well as parts of Xizhou, Tianwei, and Pitou, with its influence extending to Tianzhong Town and Ershuei Township. The old Beidou Dian'an Temple was designated as a national third-level historic site in the 72nd year of the Republic of China, but due to years of disrepair and the construction of a new main hall, it was relocated to the Taiwan Folk Village, followed by an expansion of the main hall, and was consecrated in the 92nd year of the Republic of China. The five soft-bodied Mazu statues from the Qing Dynasty and the thousand-year-old red cypress tree Guanyin Buddha are significant historical artifacts. (Source: Hsieh Jui-lung's "Beidou Local Chronicles")
