Xinzhuang Guangfu Temple Introduction
The San Shan Guo Wang Temple in Xinzhuang was built in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780) by Cantonese immigrants, making it the earliest temple in Northern Taiwan associated with Hakka beliefs, witnessing the involvement of Hakka people in the early immigrations and land reclamation of Xinzhuang. The temple, formerly known as the San Shan Guo Wang Temple, is not the oldest temple in Xinzhuang, but it is the only national second-grade historic site and is one of the best-preserved ancient temples among the four ancient temples in the old street area. The San Shan Guo Wang is the guardian deity of people from Chaozhou in Guangdong, worshipping the mountain deities of Jinshan, Mingshan, and Dushan. It is revered by the local Cantonese population and has become a common belief in Chaozhou. As Chaozhou Hakka immigrants came to Taiwan, they brought the "incense" from their hometown's San Shan Guo Wang Temple, seeking blessings. The San Shan deity is a nature-worshipping deity and originally had no form until statues were created in Taiwan. The temple was established in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780), was destroyed by fire in the 8th year of Guangxu (1882), and was rebuilt in the 14th year of Guangxu (1888) by Chen Chaowang from Hsinchu Pu Chao. After its renovation in the 25th year of the Republic of China, it was renamed Guangfu Temple.
