Yong'an Temple Introduction
At the site of this temple, there is a thatched hut that houses three paper-mâché statues of Lord Wang and several clay statues of the Tiger General. At that time, unusual events were occurring in the area, causing some citizens to lose their sanity and others to fall ill, with no apparent cause. The people were not only fearful but also helpless, so they prayed to Lord Wang for blessings and peace. The next day, a fisherman passing by the temple saw flames soaring into the sky, entered to check it out, and suddenly Lord Wang manifested and performed rituals to calm the area. Since then, peace was restored, and the faithful who offered incense worshiped. Remarkably, the character "薛" (Xue) appeared in the incense burner, and from that day on, the local residents referred to the statue as "Lord Wang of Xue." The Yong'an Temple in Lugang is an ancient temple closely related to the development history of Lugang. Historically, the main deity worshiped here, Lord Wang of Xue, was established after the establishment of the Lugang naval station in the 23rd year of the Kangxi era. The naval officer Qiu invited the deity from his ancestral home to set up the altar and provide protection in the 37th year of Kangxi, making it a temple with deep historical roots. The side deity, Lord Zeng, was a real person whose military achievements are documented in county records. Lord Zeng refers to the naval officer Zeng Shaolong, who died during the Qianlong era's 60th year in the Chen Zhouquan incident. He was subsequently honored, granted a hereditary sacrifice, conferred the title of fourth rank, and enshrined in the Changzhong Temple. The statue worshiped in the current temple reflects the attire of a fourth-rank official. Additionally, although Lord Zeng came from a martial background, he was skilled in poetry and literature, privately establishing schools to educate the local populace and actively recommending students for examinations and honors, thus greatly benefiting the literary culture in Lugang. Therefore, after his enshrinement, Lord Zeng came to be regarded similarly to the deity Wenchang Jun, becoming an object of worship for students praying for success in their examinations.
