Dajia Jenn Lann Temple Introduction
Dajia District's Zhenlan Temple, it is said, invited the Mazu statue from Meizhou's Tianhou ancestral temple in the 8th year of the Qing Emperor Yongzheng (1730 AD). Due to its flourishing incense offerings, a small shrine was built in Dajia Village, Dajia District, Taichung City in the 10th year of Yongzheng (1732 AD), which was later renovated into the "Tianhou Temple" in the 35th year of Qianlong (1770 AD). It was rebuilt in the 52nd year of Qianlong (1787 AD) and was recorded in the water offerings of Tamsui Prefecture, Taiwan. Following that, local gentry repeatedly initiated renovations and changed its name to "Zhenlan Temple." Each year, during the third day of the lunar month, the large-scale "procession for incense offerings" attracts innumerable followers, with celebration activities for welcoming Mazu taking place in temples across various regions. The Mazu procession at Zhenlan Temple in Dajia District has a history of several hundred years, primarily aimed at enhancing the aura of the statue. The sheer number of participants and the grandeur of the event have attracted attention and study from both domestic and international academia and media. The architecture of Zhenlan Temple includes a front hall, rear hall, south and north halls, a bell and drum tower, all adorned with intricate stone and wooden carvings of figures, flowers, birds, and beasts, finely sculpted and vividly colored. The main hall houses the Mazu statue, while the south hall is dedicated to the Chaste Mazu. The dragon columns in front of the temple feature finely detailed stone carvings, and the roof is covered with colorful cut mosaic decorations of figures, flowers, birds, and beasts. The eaves are adorned with golden decorations, and the main hall's shrine is lavishly decorated, exuding a grandeur that radiates a solemn atmosphere. Zhenlan Temple has undergone multiple renovations, making its buildings even more stable and magnificent. Although some ancient artifacts could not be preserved due to the passage of time, precious plaques from the Qianlong and Guangxu periods remain, witnessing the historical trajectory.
