Xiahai City God Temple Introduction
Xiahai City God Temple, located on Section 1 of Dihua Street, was built in 1856 (the sixth year of the Xianfeng Emperor) and covers an area of approximately 46 ping. Although it does not have an imposing temple appearance, its faith community is extensive and its incense offerings are abundant. The temple's celebrations and rituals are lively and significant local events, closely related to the development of Dadaocheng. The temple primarily worships Xiahai City God, along with two judges (civil and military judges), Generals Xie and Fan (Qi and Ba Ye), and additionally honors thirty-eight righteous warriors. It also includes the City God’s wife, eight officers, eight generals, the Horse Master, and the Old Man under the Moon. This famous ancient temple currently has around 200 deities, making it one of the temples with the highest density of idols in Taiwan. Aside from the City God, the most attractive aspect for tourists is the worship of the Old Man under the Moon. Every year, more than 6,000 couples come to express their gratitude with offerings, and the most popular among them is the "Happy Shoes" (also known as "Blessed Shoes"), a famous love talisman in Taipei. On average, over 200 households visit Xiahai City God Temple every year to "ask for shoes." It is said that the City God and his wife have an age difference of about 70 years, and under the theme of "the old man loves his young wife," the public deeply believes that this "immortal couple" can bring happiness to families, thus creating the origin of the "Happy Shoes." Additionally, there is a miraculous story associated with the City God Temple. In 1884, during the Sino-French War, when French troops attacked Taiwan, the people of Taipei prayed sincerely here for the protection of Xiahai City God. The City God indeed showed great signs, and ultimately the French troops were defeated at Wudu and were unable to occupy Taipei, which is why the public respectfully refers to Xiahai City God as "Weiling Gong."
