Wenxing Temple Introduction
Deity Worshipped: Qingshui Zu Shih; Location: Weixinli, formerly known as Zhuzigang, is one of the earliest developed areas in Yong'an. In the tenth year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1805), believers raised funds to build a village temple called Wenxing Palace, primarily enshrining Qingshui Zu Shih (Black-Faced Ancestor), who is the Second Ancestor. He is commonly referred to by the devotees as "Old Ancestor." The rear hall enshrines the Western Three Saints (Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta), Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. For over two hundred years, though eroded by wind and rain, the temple appears worn but continues to receive a steady flow of worshippers from far and wide. During the Japanese colonial period, villagers hid the statue to prevent it from being destroyed by the Japanese, but due to years of neglect, it became damaged and was rebuilt in the 67th year of the Republic of China, taking three years to complete. The temple was renovated again in the year before the 93rd Republic of China. The door gods were painted by temple painter Pan Lishui, and an ancient plaque inscribed with "Understanding Zen Wisdom" is preserved within the temple. The sixth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of Qingshui Zu Shih, and during the birthday celebration from the fifth to the seventh day of the first lunar month, approximately two hundred large tour buses arrive along with countless small vehicles to pay their respects. Most of the devotees come from the eastern district of Tainan City, the Baijia area, and the border with Chiayi County. Every four or six years, a prayer for peace and a purity ritual is held, wherein Qingshui Zu Shih leads up to one hundred devotees who are all vegetarian on a seven-day, six-night journey on foot to Biyun Temple to pay homage to their ancestors and pray for national peace and good weather.
