Wuji Chaoyuan Temple

Taichung Attractions

梧棲朝元宮-入口
梧棲朝元宮-入口

Wuchi Chaoyuan Temple's architectural history dates back over 150 years, with its original location not being the current site. It was moved to the present address at No. 140, Wuchi Road in 1864. At that time, the salt official invited a wooden statue of Mazu from Meizhou Tianhou Temple, known as "Kaiji Mazu." According to research, "Kaiji Mazu" is one of the earliest Mazu statues in Taiwan, with a history of 323 years. It is still housed in Wuchi Chaoyuan Temple. The locals often refer to visiting "Wuchi Mazu," which means worshipping at Wuchi Chaoyuan Temple. In addition to thanking Mazu for protection and praying for peace, visitors can also carefully observe the stone tablets on the walls and the inscriptions by contemporary celebrities or literati on the beams within the temple. Chaoyuan Temple hosts celebrations for events such as the Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, and Bathing Buddha Festival every year, and also periodically holds peace prayer processions, in which the public is encouraged to participate.

Address:140 Wuchi Road, Wuchi District, Taichung City 435, Taiwan

Wuji Chaoyuan Temple Introduction

The early residents of Wuqiy relied mainly on "sea-gathering" for their livelihood. The plaque "Yongkang Sihai" on the main hall of Chaoyuan Temple is the best representation of this. Located on Wuqiy Old Street, Chaoyuan Temple is respectfully referred to by the local people as "Mazu Temple." The main deity enshrined within, commonly known as Mazu, the Heavenly Mother, holds significant importance to the faith in Mazu among the residents of Wuqiy. This is because the early residents primarily engaged in fishing, and whether it was for trade with China or for fishing and aquaculture in coastal waters, they all sought the blessings of the sea guardian Mazu for calm seas and smooth sailing. Chaoyuan Temple currently preserves a statue known as "Kaiji Mazu," which was brought from the Tianhou Temple in Meizhou, Fujian, China, by Lin Yinde, the salt officer. It is said that he rented the temple in Meizhou to bring the sacred image to Wuqiy for worship. Later, during the Xianfeng period, a Mazu temple was built on the west coast of Wuqiy to honor this Mazu statue, which is one of the six Kaiji Mazu statues from the ascension cave of the Meizhou ancestral temple. Hence, devotees refer to this statue as "Kaiji Mazu."

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