Taipei Tianhou Temple Introduction
Taipei Tianhou Temple, commonly known as "Ximending Mazu Temple," is dedicated to the Heavenly Empress Mazu and is located on Chengdu Road in Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan. It was built in 1746 by local merchants and was originally named Xinxing Temple. Along with Longshan Temple and the Zushi Temple in Mengjia, it is one of the three major temples in Mengjia during Taiwan's Qing dynasty period. In 1943, it was demolished due to the widening of Xiyuan Road, and the statue was temporarily relocated to Longshan Temple. In 1948, devotees brought the temporarily displaced statue of the Heavenly Empress from Longshan Temple and moved it to Hongfa Temple, located at the intersection of Chengdu Road and Xining South Road. This temple was initially built by Japanese during the Japanese occupation and was destroyed by fire after World War II. The shrine of Xinxing Temple in Hongfa Temple was rebuilt and renamed "Taiwan Provincial Tianhou Temple," which was later changed to "Taipei Tianhou Temple," marking a tumultuous history. Mazu is regarded as the guardian deity of the sea. In the early days, Taiwan's livelihood depended on the ocean, and immigrants from the southeastern coastal areas arrived in Taiwan by crossing the sea, often settling near the docks; thus, temples dedicated to Mazu were commonly built near rivers and harbors. These temples typically face the mountains across the river, hoping to bless every fisherman and immigrant with safety. Inside the temple, there is an ancient bell placed next to the dragon side at the entrance, which, based on the inscriptions, reveals that it dates back to when the temple was established in the Qing dynasty, named "Xinxing Temple," cast in 1792 (the 57th year of Qianlong) in Wuxi, Jiangsu. On the tiger side of the entrance, there is a shrine for the Eight Immortals, which features an incense burner and lotus wooden candles, originally part of the Xinxing Temple shrine made by a Tangshan master in 1820. Since 1973, the Kongobu-ji Temple of Mount Kōya in Japan has sent high monks to Taipei Tianhou Temple every year between October and December to hold pilgrimage ceremonies. The main deity of Taipei Tianhou Temple is Mazu, and the accompanying deity is Kobo Daishi, making it unique in Taiwan, as only Taipei Tianhou Temple honors Kobo Daishi, attracting many Japanese tourists who come specially to pay their respects.
