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."