Hou-Liao Thirty People Temple Introduction
The origin of the San-shih Ren Temple, according to the inscriptions inside the temple, dates back to 1622 when the Dutch dispatched warships to invade Magong. Thirty-six residents of Hujing Island took to small boats to resist the invasion but were outnumbered and perished. The bodies were discovered by villagers at two seaside locations and buried on the spot. Later, the villagers built the "Nanpu Temple" to worship them, which is colloquially known as the "San-shih Ren Temple". The current appearance is from a reconstruction funded by devotees in 2017. In front of the San-shih Ren Temple is an intertidal zone that is a great place for people to dig for thick-shelled clams when the tide is out. There is also a designated bike path nearby, where visitors can enjoy the sea views and admire the large sculpture "Hai Mouse" created by artist Hong Yi. As "dolphin" is pronounced "hai shu" in Taiwanese, the blue-and-white porcelain-style Hai Mouse combines the image of a dolphin with that of a mouse, decorated with iconic attractions, plants, animals, and historical sites of Penghu, with the words "Hai" and "Shu" on its ears. Next to the Hai Mouse, there is a circular tile designed by artist Huang Bo-wei called "Pengpai Youqing," showcasing Penghu characteristics like the Tithonia diversifolia, cacti, and stone weirs. Additionally, a notable spot in Houliao is the Shigandang at the Weiling Palace Temple Square. According to legend, during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, there were demons and ghosts causing trouble in the "Fengkengkou" area between Houliao and Tongliang. In 1842, the Emperor Baosheng worshiped at Weiling Palace and was instructed to establish the four characters "Chimei Wangliang" (Chen demons) with the character for rain added on top to ward off evil spirits, making it a rare stone tablet in Penghu with an inscribed date.
