Shibawang Temple Introduction
The full name of Shibawang Temple is Qianhua Shibawang Temple, where Qianhua refers to Qianhua Village in Shimen District. Locally, it is known as Ali Pang. For a long time, the Shibawang Temple has enjoyed a thriving incense offering. It is said that during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, a sailing ship carrying 17 Fuzhou merchants and a dog unfortunately capsized on its way to Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang. The ship drifted to Qianhua Village in Shimen, and everyone on board drowned except for the lucky dog. After being discovered by a resident with the last name Lian, it was buried at the foot of the mountain. The dog, seeing that its owner had perished, also followed suit and died. The villagers then buried it alongside the others. Since then, during festivals, nearby residents would come to offer incense and worship. Over time, they began to refer to the deity as Shibawang. Legend has it that whenever local fishermen faced dangers at sea, they often encountered the spirit of Shibawang coming to their rescue. Consequently, the residents pooled resources to build a small temple for worship. As more miraculous events occurred after the temple's completion, the number of devotees gradually expanded throughout the northern coast, eventually making it a well-known temple in Northern Taiwan. Shibawang, being a combined worship of the man and dog, reflects the common perception of dogs as loyal beings. Therefore, many believe that as long as they sincerely worship the dog, they will receive its fidelity in return. To this day, the legend of Shibawang continues to make this small temple by the mountain a popular tourist destination for travelers passing through the northern coast. People come to hear the tales, seek miracles and blessings, and, of course, for the delicious zongzi, which is a specialty dish here. It is said that the boatmen carried zongzi for convenience as an offering for safety during their sea voyages. Combining ingredients like peanuts, preserved vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and braised pork, this seemingly ordinary mix results in an unexpectedly delicious flavor that draws visitors to purchase bags of it. The tasty zongzi has even become a specialty of the Shimen area, available on streets throughout Shimen District. Source: Beihai Coast and Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area
