Shilin Shen Nong Temple Introduction
Today, the architectural layout of Shilin Chenlong Temple consists of two sections with five openings. On each side of the San Chuan Hall, there are bell and drum towers. The main hall of Chenlong Temple has two stories, with the deity Shen Nong Da Di enshrined in the center of the second floor, while the First Floor enshrines the God of Wealth. The front of Chenlong Temple, besides the three doors of San Chuan Hall, also has one door at the front of each side room. Since Shen Nong Da Di belongs to the imperial level of deities, the temple front can open more than five doors to showcase the deities' noble status. In ancient China's imperial era, the court regulated that the architectural style of temples must match the hierarchy of the deities they enshrine. Originally named "Zhi Lan Temple," Shilin Chenlong Temple was dedicated to the Earth God. However, in the Qianlong period, when local residents renovated the temple, they adopted the tail-style roof that could only be used by royal-level deities, thus highlighting the importance of the Earth God in the hearts of immigrants, but also rendering the temple overly magnificent and non-compliant with regulations. To avoid demolition penalties for the temple's violations, local residents subsequently added the worship of Shen Nong Da Di, who possesses royal rank, as the main deity. This change reflects a compromise and integration of Han temple practices, familial rituals, and local beliefs. Shilin Chenlong Temple has undergone multiple renovations but still retains many old objects, such as stone-carved dragon columns in front of the San Chuan Hall, stone beams, stone-carved windows, a longevity and prosperity seat from the Qianlong period, incense burners from the Xianfeng period, and a carved statue of Shen Nong Da Di and the God of Wealth from the Qing Dynasty. The columns on both sides of the main hall are embedded with stone pillars from the Japanese colonial period, and the main hall retains the wall design of that time, made with Guanyin Mountain stone, which has unique characteristics of the era that are difficult to reproduce today. The temple also preserves several stone tablets recording the history of temple repairs and donation lists, along with a respectful paper-burning pavilion, witnessing the development of Shilin and the early prosperity of its literary culture. Inside Chenlong Temple, there are multiple statues of Shen Nong Da Di. The depictions of Shen Nong Da Di generally take two forms: one is the image of a primitive person, bare-bodied and barefoot, draped only with leaves on the shoulders and waist, holding golden rice ears, symbolizing the invention of agriculture and the transition from primitive to civilized; the other is an image dressed in royal attire and crown, symbolizing the high status of Huaxia civilization and its ancestral figure. The Shen Nong Da Di enshrined in Shilin Chenlong Temple is depicted as a primitive man with both red and black faces. The red face symbolizes the healthy appearance of Shen Nong after inventing agriculture, as he consumed grains; the black face represents Shen Nong’s appearance after ingesting poisonous herbs, commemorating his sacrifice in searching for medicinal plants for people. On the other hand, Shilin Chenlong Temple features many ceramic works made of high-temperature colored glaze, produced by Chen Zhuan You (1911-), a disciple of the Hong Kun Fu school, who was one of the prominent figures in the decorative arts of temple architecture in mid-20th century Taiwan, known as one of the "Five Tiger Generals." The ceramic decorations in Taiwanese temples often focus on themes from traditional theater, and a themed story presented on a wall is referred to as a "story wall." In the horizontal beams of the inner hall of San Chuan Hall in Chenlong Temple, there are six story walls made of ceramic, along with the "waterwheel wall" near the eaves on the front hall wall and the "opposite viewing wall" on both side walls, totaling twelve story walls. Each wall features over seven ceramic figures, resulting in a considerable total number of figures, with their postures being detailed and exquisite, preserving a rich collection of traditional decorative artistry.
