San Shan Guo Wang Temple Introduction
The Three Mountains Sovereign Temple, located in Jiuming Village, Jiou-Ru Township, was established in 1651 (the 5th year of the Ming Yongli reign), boasting over three hundred years of history. It is a rare Hakka ancient temple that has not undergone significant renovation or expansion and still retains its traditional architectural layout. It has currently been designated as a Level 3 historical site. The term "Three Mountains" originally referred to three famous mountains in Guangdong, China—Dushan, Mingshan, and Jinshan. The local residents, in admiration of the mountain deities, developed the local belief in the "Three Mountains Sovereign." According to local literature, the earliest legend of the Three Mountains deities appeared during the Sui Dynasty, where the three deities claimed to be brothers, tasked by heaven to protect Dushan, Mingshan, and Jinshan respectively. Another account suggests that during the Song Dynasty, the three deities helped in expanding territory and therefore were honored as the Three Sovereigns. Although these legendary stories are difficult to verify, they have deeply rooted the religious beliefs of the local Hakka residents. Visually, the ridge of the Three Mountains Sovereign Temple in Jiou-Ru features a swallowtail design, giving it a streamlined appearance. The architectural layout consists of three main halls and two side chambers, decorated with Jiaozhi ceramics, wooden beams and columns, and stone walls, showcasing intricate paintings and carvings of flowers, birds, deities, and beasts. The halls are connected by corridors, with a front courtyard and a middle courtyard; hanging inside the temple are precious historical artifacts such as the plaques "Wisdom Light Nanhai" and "Mighty Shake the Eastern Seas," deity altars, incense burners, and fortune-telling tubes. The annual cultural festival "The Return of the Sovereign and Matron to their Ancestral Home" is a major event where devotees from Linluo Township come to the Three Mountains Sovereign Temple in Jiou-Ru to welcome the Sovereign and Matron back home as the opening. After several days, the devotees from Jiou-Ru's Three Mountains Sovereign Temple invite them back, culminating in a grand celebration where the new male youth of the year carry incense and lanterns during the procession, praying for local safety and prosperity. This event combines heartfelt moments in a religious ritual.
