Hsinchu City Cheng Huang Temple Introduction
Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple is located on Zhongshan Road in the North District of Hsinchu City. It is recognized as a city-designated historical site, established in 1748 at the initiative of the Tamsui magistrate, Tseng Yeh-ying. In 1875, with the separation of Tamsui and Hsinchu, the Taipei Prefecture was established, but the administration remained in Hsinchu, thus the City God was elevated to the status of the prefectural City God, known as Wei Ling Gong. With a thriving atmosphere, the temple is famously known for the saying "Hsinchu City's City God, Beigang's Mazu." At the time, the temple was the largest of its kind in Taiwan, dedicated to the deities who govern the judgment of good and evil in both the underworld and the living world, resembling an ancient government office in its layout. The market stalls in the plaza of Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple have become unique features of Hsinchu. Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple has undergone multiple renovations, with the San-Chuan Hall and the three-tiered roof being particularly distinctive. The large iron abacus hanging from the beams is traditionally said to be used by the City God to calculate human sins, and the couplets on either side read, "Is there any need to calculate the affairs of the world? Heaven and the gods have their own great solutions." The stone lions in front of Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple and other decorations have artistic value, with the dragon pillars being the work of renowned northern Taiwan master sculptor Xin A-Jiu, featuring intricate and vivid craftsmanship. Above the entrance, the bagua coffered ceiling is a significant historical piece created by master carpenter Wang Yishun from Quanzhou, Hui'an. Around the Lantern Festival each year, Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple, along with the nearby Beimen Street and Changhe Temple, showcases colorful lantern displays for the public to admire various styles of lantern artworks, making it a well-known local event during the festival. The welcoming activities for the City God in the seventh month of the lunar calendar are another major event in the local community, starting from the first day of the seventh month until the wrapping-up at Dongmen Market on the first day of the eighth month. The peak of the activities occurs on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, when the City God makes a巡演to aid wandering souls, with the procession stretching several kilometers, causing the entire Hsinchu City to come alive. On the twenty-ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, the birthday of the City God, Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple attracts a large number of worshippers, creating a bustling and lively scene.
