Cijin Tianhou Temple Introduction
The Cijin Tianhou Temple, located in the bustling area of Cijin in Kaohsiung City, has a history of over three hundred years dedicated to the worship of Mazu, the sea goddess. According to historical documents, in 1673, a fisherman named Xu Ahua from Fujian drifted to Cijin during a hurricane and settled there. He later gathered six fellow villagers and welcomed the spirit of Mazu from Meizhou Island to Taiwan, making it the first Mazu temple in Taiwan and the oldest temple in Kaohsiung. The temple has undergone several renovations, and the current structure of the Tianhou Temple is based on the reconstruction from 1926. The architecture of the Cijin Tianhou Temple is characterized by South Chinese temple design, featuring a layout of two halls, five gates, and two guard rooms. The roof is adorned with a swallowtail ridge design and decorated with two dragons embracing the immortal. The temple is filled with exquisite wood carvings, stone sculptures, colorful plastics, and cut-and-stick art, showcasing an ancient local flavor and vivid artistry. Important paintings within the temple, including those of door gods, crossbeams, murals, bas-reliefs, and flat paintings, are crafted by the renowned painter Chen Yufeng. Each intricate craftsmanship represents the wisdom of master artisans, making the entire temple a treasure of art worthy of careful appreciation. Over its more than three hundred years of religious practice, the Tianhou Temple houses several significant cultural relics, such as the Mazu statue brought from Tangshan in 1673, the stone carving of General Tiger, sea-crossing ballast stones, and stone incense burners; a bronze bell from 1886; and two stone tablets recording the historical background of the time, one official and one folk. The Tianhou Temple is not only a center for local faith in Kaohsiung but also a testament to the historical journey of our ancestors who sailed to Taiwan and reclaimed land over three hundred years ago. Amid the rising incense smoke, the unchanging presence of Mazu’s protection over the populace and the preservation of traditional folk arts are timeless values that deserve our heartfelt understanding and eternal transmission.
