Jinhu Wanshanye Temple Introduction
Fishing port festival to honor ancestors, seeking peace for all. The Jinhu Wanshan Temple was established in 1957, tracing its origins from the Wanshan Shrine in Huanzi Village, which was built to commemorate the maritime disasters during the Daoguang era. Residents from both Jinhu and Huanzi Village hold a water-pulling ritual on the 7th and 8th days of the 6th month of the lunar calendar to pray for local safety. The Jinhu Wanshan Temple, located near Jinhu Village in Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, was built during the Qing Xianfeng era to mourn the souls of the four thousand victims from the 1845 Jinhu area tsunami. The local residents specially sealed a stone pond for shared worship of Wanshan spirits and constructed a shrine for their descendants to pay respects. With a history of over 150 years, the temple had to be relocated eastward to avoid flooding from heavy rains and road expansion. Currently, the water-pulling ritual is held on the 8th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar, making it the most significant folk activity in the coastal area of Kouhu Township. Image source: Su Yu-Ching/Photographer. (Authorization for photo use is required; please do not reproduce.)
