Cijin Tianhou Temple Introduction
Qijin Tianhou Temple, located in the bustling area of Qijin, Kaohsiung City, has a history of over three hundred years in worshiping the sea goddess Mazu. According to historical records, in 1673, a fisherman named Xu Ahua from Fujian encountered a hurricane and drifted to Qijin, where he settled and later welcomed six fellow townsmen to bring a spirit of Mazu from Meizhou to Taiwan, making it the first Mazu temple in Taiwan and the oldest temple in Kaohsiung. Since then, the temple has undergone several renovations, with the current structure based on the rebuilding done in 1926. The architecture of Qijin Tianhou Temple belongs to the Southern Chinese temple style, featuring two main halls, five gates, and two guardian rooms. The roof is designed with a swallowtail ridge, adorned with twin dragons embracing an immortal, and is filled with a variety of wooden carvings, stone carvings, colorful sculptures, and fine collages, showcasing a rich local flavor that is both vivid and lively. Important paintings within the temple, such as door gods, crossbeams, murals, reliefs, and flat images, are crafted by the master painter Chen Yufeng. The exquisite craftsmanship is the result of the wisdom of skilled artisans, making the entire temple a treasure of art well worth admiring. With over three hundred years of incense wafting, Tianhou Temple also houses several important cultural relics, including the Mazu statue brought from Tangshan in 1673, a stone sculpture of the Tiger General, a cross-ocean ballast stone, and a stone incense burner; a bronze bell from 1886, as well as two stone tablets documenting the historical context of that time, both official and folk. Tianhou Temple is not only the center of faith for the local community in Kaohsiung but also a testament to the history of the ancestors who crossed the sea to cultivate and develop the land over three hundred years, symbolizing Mazu's protection over the people and the preservation and transmission of folk art traditions, which is worthy of our heartfelt understanding and eternal legacy.
