Dajia Jenn Lann Temple Introduction
Dajia District's Zhenlan Temple is said to have invited the Mazu statue from the Meizhou Mazu Temple in the 8th year of the Yongzheng reign (1730 AD). Due to its flourishing incense offerings, a small shrine was built in Dajia Village in the 10th year of Yongzheng (1732 AD). It was later transformed into "Tianhou Temple" in the 35th year of Qianlong (1770 AD) and rebuilt in the 52nd year of Qianlong (1787 AD), eventually being recorded in the historical accounts of Tamsui Prefecture in Taiwan. Subsequently, local gentry initiated several reconstructions, renaming it "Zhenlan Temple." Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, a grand "procession and incense-offering" event takes place, attracting countless devotees, with various temples hosting celebrations to welcome Mazu. The Mazu pilgrimage at Zhenlan Temple has a history of several hundred years, mainly aimed at enhancing the spiritual energy of the statue. The enormous number of participants and the spectacular nature of the event have drawn attention and research from both academia and the media worldwide. The architecture of Zhenlan Temple includes a main hall, rear hall, southern and northern halls, as well as a bell and drum tower, all adorned with intricate stone carvings and wooden sculptures of people, flowers, birds, and beasts, beautifully crafted and vibrantly colored. The main hall enshrines Mazu, while the southern hall features the Chastity Mazu. The dragon pillars in front of the temple are finely carved stone sculptures, and the roof is covered with colorful cut-out figures, flowers, birds, and beasts. The large decorative sculptures under the eaves are gilded, and the interior of the main hall is lavishly adorned, displaying a grand and majestic atmosphere. Zhenlan Temple has undergone multiple renovations, making the construction more solid and magnificent. Although some ancient artifacts have not been preserved due to the passage of time, the precious plaques from the Qianlong and Guangxu periods remain, witnessing the historical trajectory.
