Wusheng Temple Introduction
Located in the Xinzhuang District of New Taipei City, the Xinzhuang Wusheng Temple is listed as a cultural asset of New Taipei City. It is one of the three major temples in Xinzhuang, along with the Ciyou Temple and the Guangfu Temple. Established in the 25th year of the Qianlong reign (1760 AD) by the Tingzhou scholar Hu Zhuoyou, the temple was built on land donated in Xinzhuang on Mishi Street. According to Lianheng's "Taiwan General History" (1878-1936), "The Xinzhuang Wusheng Temple was founded in the 25th year of the Qianlong reign (1760 AD) by scholar Hu Zhuoyou in Xinzhuang of Xingzhizhi Fort, dedicated to Guanyu, the Marquis of Shoutao." This indicates that the time of construction for the Xinzhuang Wusheng Temple predates that of the Hsinchu Guandi Temple, making it the earliest "Guandi Temple" in northern Taiwan, commonly referred to by locals as "Guandi Jun Temple." The main entrance of the Wusheng Temple is typically closed, only opening on specific dates: from the first to the third day of the lunar new year, from the eleventh to the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, and from the twentieth to the twenty-fourth day of the sixth lunar month. During the Lantern Festival each year, an event called "Zhua Pao Tai" is held in front of the temple to demonstrate the well-being of the people. A notable feature of the temple's architecture differs from other temples: the main entrance does not have door gods depicted, as Guandi himself is a skilled martial artist and does not require such protection. However, the main door is adorned with 108 door nails, which originally served to conceal the heads of the door planks, but now mainly serve as decoration. The number 108 is a multiple of nine, which is considered the most auspicious number, and this design follows the traditional method of constructing door panels.
