Jinhu Wanshan Temple Introduction
At the Fishing Port Festival, ancestors are honored and peace is sought. The Jinhu Wanshan Temple was established in 1957, with its incense lineage traced back to the Wanshan Temple in Huanzi Village, Kanaziliao, which was founded to commemorate maritime disasters during the Daoguang era. Residents from both Jinhu and Kanaziliao hold a ritual on the 7th and 8th day of the sixth lunar month to summon the souls of the deceased and pray for local safety. Located near Jinhu in Gangdong Village, Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, Jinhu Wanshan Temple was built during the Xianfeng era to mourn the 4,000 victims of the 1845 tsunami in Jinhu. The local residents specifically set aside a stone pond for collective memorializing at Wanshan, and constructed a temple for future generations to worship, which has a history of more than 150 years. However, due to heavy rains causing seawater to flood and the widening of the Western Coastal Highway, the temple has been relocated eastward and raised, resulting in its current appearance. Every year on the 8th day of the sixth lunar month, the water-summoning ritual is held, making it the most significant folk event in the coastal area of Kouhu Township. Image source: Su Yu-Ching/Photograph. (Authorized photos may not be reprinted.)
