San-shan Guo-wang Temple Introduction
The Sanshan Guowang Temple, located in Jiuming Village, Jiou-Jiou Township, was established in 1651 (the 5th year of the Ming Yongli era) and has a history of over three hundred years. It is a rare Hakka ancient temple that has not undergone significant renovations or expansions, maintaining its traditional architectural layout, and is currently designated as a third-class cultural relic. "Sanshan" originally refers to three famous mountains in Guangdong, China—Dushan, Mingshan, and Jingshan. The residents who live here, admiring the mountain spirits, developed a local belief called "Sanshan Guowang." According to local historical records, the earliest legends of the three mountain gods appeared during the Sui Dynasty; these three gods claimed to be brothers, tasked by heavenly decree to guard Dushan, Mingshan, and Jingshan respectively. There's also a tale that during the Song Dynasty, they assisted in opening up new territories, leading to successful conquests and were therefore conferred the title of the Three Kings. Although these legendary narratives are difficult to verify, they have deeply rooted the religious beliefs of local Hakka residents. In terms of appearance, the roofs of the Jiou-Jiou Sanshan Guowang Temple feature a swallow-tail style Sanchuan ridge, which looks streamlined from a distance. The architectural layout consists of three main halls and two side rooms, decorated with Takyam ceramic, wooden beams and pillars, and stone columns. The intricate paintings and carvings of flowers, birds, deities, and beasts showcase considerable craftsmanship. The halls are connected by corridors, and there are front and middle temple courtyards. Valuable historical artifacts such as the plaques "Hui Guang Nanhai" and "Wei Zhen Hai Dong," the deity's shrine, incense burners, and fortune-telling tube are all hung within the temple. The event "Sanshan Guowang Temples' Deity's Homecoming" is an annual cultural festival, primarily involving devotees from Linluo Township who travel to Jiou-Jiou Sanshan Guowang Temple to welcome the deity home. After a few days, the believers from Jiou-Jiou Township invite the deity back. The climax of the event features the new male infants of the year carrying incense and lanterns in a procession with the deity, praying for local safety and prosperity. This event is a religious ritual that combines warm imagery.
