Yong'an Temple Introduction
At the site of this temple, there is a thatched hut enshrining three paper-made statues of the Wang Ye deity and several clay statues of the Tiger General. At that time, unusual events were occurring in the area, with some citizens experiencing confusion and others falling ill without any known cause; the people were not only anxious but also helpless, so they prayed to Wang Ye for blessings and peace. The next day, a fisherman passed by the temple and saw bright lights. Upon entering, he suddenly witnessed the manifestation of Wang Ye, who calmed the area with divine rituals. From then on, the locality returned to peace, and the faithful worshipped with incense. Remarkably, the incense burner emitted the character “薛” (Xue), and since then, the local people have referred to this deity as “Xue Wang Ye.” The Lukang Yong'an Temple is an ancient temple closely related to the development history of Lukang. In historical terms, this temple primarily enshrines Wang Ye of Xuefu, who was invited to establish an altar for protection after the establishment of the Lukang naval defense in the 23rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. The side deity, Zeng Da-lao Ye, is a historical figure with notable military achievements recorded in the county annals. Zeng Da-lao is the same person as Zeng Shaolong, who died during the Qianlong 60th year’s incident involving Chen Zhouquan, and was posthumously honored and entitled to have his descendants conduct sacrifices, receiving a fourth-rank title and being integrated into the Changzhong Temple. The deity enshrined in the current temple is depicted in the attire of a fourth-rank official. Additionally, although Zeng Da-lao came from a military background, he was skilled in poetry and literature. He privately established a school to educate the local people and encouraged students to pursue success in the imperial examination, thereby fostering a literary atmosphere in Lukang and winning the affection of the people. As a result, after being enshrined, Zeng Da-lao became a figure worshipped by followers for academic success, akin to Wenchang Jun.
