Xinzhuang Guangfu Temple Introduction
The San Shan Guo Wang Temple in Xinzhuang was built in 1780 (the 45th year of the Qinglong reign) by Cantonese immigrants, making it the earliest temple in northern Taiwan associated with Hakka beliefs. It witnesses the involvement of Hakka people in the early migration and development of Xinzhuang. Originally known as the San Shan Guo Wang Temple, Guangfu Temple is not the oldest temple in Xinzhuang, but it is the only national second-class historic site and one of the best-preserved ancient temples in the old street area. San Shan Guo Wang is the guardian deity of Cantonese immigrants from Chaozhou, worshiped alongside the mountain gods of Jinshan, Mingshan, and Dushan. It is revered by the local Cantonese population and has become a widespread belief in the Chaozhou area. As Chaozhou Hakka immigrants came to Taiwan, they brought with them the "incense" from their hometown's San Shan Guo Wang Temple, praying for blessings. The San Shan deity is a nature-worshiping god originally without a physical form; it wasn't until arriving in Taiwan that statues were created. The temple was built in 1780, destroyed by fire in 1882, and was rebuilt in 1888 by Chen Chaowang, a native from Puchao in Hsinchu, and was renamed Guangfu Temple after renovations in 1936.
