Yuli Xietian Temple Introduction
Yuli Xie Tian Temple is the first temple established in Hualien County. Built in the first year of the Guangxu era (1875), it has a history of over 130 years. In 1951, it was severely damaged by an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt to its current form. During the Qing Dynasty, General Wu Guangliang, who commanded the central route Flying Tiger Army, arrived at Pushi Pavilion (an ancient place name of Yuli) via the Batongguan Old Trail, where an epidemic broke out. To soothe the soldiers' spirits, he particularly built Xie Tian Temple and personally wrote the plaque "Houshan Baozhang," which has now become a treasured artifact of the temple. Yuli Xie Tian Temple has also become the center of faith for the local residents. The temple primarily worships Guan Sheng Di Jun, the deity Wu Guangliang prayed to at that time. The two most important annual celebrations are the June 24th birthday celebration of Guan Di and the July 15th Zhongyuan Festival. Visiting Xie Tian Temple allows one to see a traditional worship center and the core of daily life in Yuli Town. Since development in the eastern part of Taiwan started later, there is a shorter history of Han Chinese faith centers, making opportunities to see century-old temples rare. If given the chance, one must come to experience the unique charm of eastern temples here.
