Beiguan Temple Introduction
Beiguan Temple's main deity, the Emperor Beiji Xuantian, is renowned as the "Grandmaster of Orchids." During the sacred birthday celebrations, a series of orchid festival activities are held, which have been ongoing for 16 years, even longer than the Taiwan International Orchid Exhibition in Tainan. Various orchids compete for rankings determined by divination, adding a unique touch for the temple. Beiguan Temple and Cixuan Temple, located less than 1 kilometer apart, share a historical lineage. However, over 60 years ago, a serious conflict arose between the Shangfan and Xiafan communities regarding the distribution of ritual offerings after a festival, leading to a split and over 60 years of no contact between the two sides. In 2012, just before the birthday of the Heavenly Mother, "Mazu" appeared in a dream to Gong Tai-wen, the president of the Pingtung County Ailan Association, instructing him to hold an orchid exhibition on her birthday to welcome the "Cixuan Temple" in the neighboring village of Qiaohsing and resolve past grievances. That year, two orchid exhibitions were unprecedentedly held.
