Xinzhuang Ciyou Temple Introduction
Ciyou Temple is the oldest temple in Xinzhuang, believed to have been founded in the 25th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign (1686). In the 9th year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (1731), it was renovated and renamed "Ciyou Temple," and is commonly referred to as "Xinzhuang Mazu Temple." It underwent renovations during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Xianfeng, Tongzhi, Guangxu, Japanese occupation, and after the recovery of Taiwan. In the 74th year of the Republic of China, Ciyou Temple was designated as a third-level historical site in the Taiwan and Fujian area. This temple is also mentioned in the "Comprehensive History of Taiwan," originally a modest small temple, but with the development of Xinzhuang, it became a center of faith and was transformed into a temple of significant scale dedicated to Ma Zu. The main hall of Ciyou Temple enshrines Ma Zu, with the left side dedicated to the deity Jiā Lán Wáng (King of the Ksitigarbha), and the right side dedicated to the deity Fude Zhengshen. The rear hall enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva, with the left and right sides dedicated to Damo Zu Shi (Bodhidharma) and the deity of childbirth, respectively. The mountain hall worships the tablets of various ancestral masters and resident monks. Ma Zu is not only the guardian deity of sailors but also a spiritual support for the people of Xinzhuang, making their emotional ties to Ciyou Temple unbreakable. The temple's vividly detailed carvings, exquisite phoenix and floral motifs, story figures, and dragon sculptures in the front shrine are of great artistic value. It preserves many cultural relics, including plaques from the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, ancient steles, and wooden couplets, making it historically significant and worthy of a detailed visit.
