Guang'an Temple Introduction
Guang'an Temple was established early and is one of the ancient temples among the more than seventy temples of the Kaizhang Shengwang in Taiwan. It preserves many ancient artifacts, especially a pair of small stone lion candle holders with a unique design, which are now rare and are said to date back to the time of its establishment, over two hundred years ago. In the temple's main altar, a gold dragon is intricately carved, and the resplendent Kaizhang Shengwang is seated in the center, with a red face and long beard, exuding an imposing presence. The two generals, Fushun and Fuxin, stand on either side holding swords, with solemn expressions. The left altar honors Guan Yu, also known as the Lord of Loyalty and Righteousness, who holds a candle for spring and autumn, while the right altar enshrines the benevolent Earth God, who protects the locality. It is said that the statues of the two kings (with the general sitting on a turtle) were taken to the Jianting Shengwang Temple (Bishan Rock Kaizhang Shengwang Temple in Neihu) for a ceremony of consecration during the Japanese Taisho era (1912-1926). After the ceremony, the devotees placed the two king statues on a palanquin (carried by two people) to bring them back to the Jinbaoli Street Temple. However, the palanquin miraculously flew out of the temple and disappeared. The anxious devotees hurried back, crossing mountains and ridges, and while passing by Gongguanlun (adjacent to Huantan Village in Wanli District and Guizai Mountain in Wuhuli), they heard from passersby that a palanquin with a statue had been seen flying through the air towards Jinbaoli Street. When the devotees returned to the temple, they found the two king statues along with the palanquin already on the altar. The devotees were amazed, and to this day, the annual Gongguanlun temple fair welcomes the two kings to receive worship in that area.
