Jinhu Wansanyeh Temple Introduction
The Fishermen's Port Festival honors ancestors and seeks peace for all. The Jinhu Wanshan Temple was established in 1957 and is a branch of the Wanshan Shrine from Hanguai District in Taizi Village, founded to commemorate the maritime disasters during the Daoguang era. Residents from both Jinhu and Hanguai hold water-dragging ceremonies to liberate the souls of the deceased, praying for local peace on the 7th and 8th days of the sixth lunar month. The Jinhu Wanshan Temple, located near Xiaojinhu in Gangdong Village, Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, was built during the Qing Dynasty's Xianfeng era to commemorate the 1845 tsunami tragedy that claimed the lives of four thousand people in the Jinhu area. The local residents specially enclosed a stone pond named Wanshan Tonggui and constructed a shrine for descendants to worship. With a history of over 150 years, the temple has been elevated and relocated eastward due to heavy rains causing seawater intrusion and the widening of the West Coast Expressway. Today, the water-dragging ceremony is held on the 8th day of the sixth lunar month, creating a sensation across the province and serving as the most important folk event for the coastal area of Kouhu Township. Image credit: Su Yu-Ching / Photography. (Authorized photos are not for reproduction.)
