Beidou Dianan Temple Introduction
Beidou Dian'an Temple, along with Zhanghua Nanyao Temple and Lugang Tianhou Temple, are known as the three major Mazu temples in Changhua County. The temple was originally the Dongluo Street Tianhou Temple (the old location was in Jiumei Village, Xizhou Township), established during the Kangxi period, making it the oldest Mazu temple in southern Changhua. However, in the 11th year of Jiaqing (1806), due to floods and wars, Dongluo Street was severely damaged, and the residents largely migrated to "Baodou" to rebuild the Tianhou Temple, symbolizing the intent of "establishing a home and gathering the people." Thus, the "Tianhou Temple" became known as "Dian'an Temple." During the Qing dynasty, Beidou Street was the most prosperous street in the Changnan area, leading to the development of a large-scale joint faith circle around Dian'an Temple, covering present-day Beidou Township and parts of Xizhou, Tianwei, and Pitou, with its influence extending to Tianzhong Township 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 front hall, it was moved to the Taiwan Folk Village, where expansion of the front hall began, and it was consecrated in the 92nd year of the Republic of China. The five soft-bodied Mazu statues from the Qing dynasty and the millennium-old red cypress Bodhisattva statue are important historical artifacts. (Source: Hsieh Ruilong, "Beidou Local Gazetteer")
