Xinzhuang Guangfu Temple Introduction
The San Shan Guo Wang Temple in Xinzhuang was built in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign (1780) by Cantonese people, making it the earliest temple established in northern Taiwan that is associated with Hakka beliefs. The temple witnesses the early immigration and land reclamation efforts of Xinzhuang, which included participation from Hakka individuals. The Guangfu Temple, formerly known as the San Shan Guo Wang Temple, may not be the oldest temple in Xinzhuang, but it is the only national second-grade historic site and is the most well-preserved among the four ancient temples in the old street area. San Shan Guo Wang is the guardian deity for people from Chaozhou in Guangdong Province, with principal worship dedicated to the mountain gods Jinshan, Mingshan, and Dushan. It is venerated by the local Cantonese community, becoming a widespread belief in the Chaozhou area. As Chaozhou Hakka immigrants came to Taiwan, they brought the "incense" from their hometown’s San Shan Guo Wang Temple, asking for blessings. The gods of San Shan are deities of nature worship and initially had no physical representation, which began to be sculpted in Taiwan. The temple was constructed in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign (1780) and was destroyed by fire in the 8th year of the Guangxu reign (1882). It was rebuilt in the 14th year of the Guangxu reign (1888) by Chen Chaowang, a person from Puchao, Hsinchu, and was renamed Guangfu Temple after renovations in the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936).
