Hou-Liao Thirty-Person Temple Introduction
The origin of the Thirty People Temple, according to the inscription inside the temple, dates back to 1622 when the Dutch sent warships to invade Magong. Thirty-six residents of Hujing Island took small boats to confront them but were outnumbered and all perished. Their bodies were discovered by villagers at two locations along the coast and were buried on the spot. Later, the villagers built the "Nanpu Temple" to honor them, commonly known as the "Thirty People Temple." The appearance we see today is from reconstruction funded by devotees in 2017. In front of the Thirty People Temple is a tidal zone, which is a great place for people to dig thick-shelled clams during low tide. There is also a dedicated bike path nearby where visitors can enjoy views of the sea and appreciate the large sculpture "Hi Mouse," created by artist Hong Yi. The local term for dolphin in Taiwanese is "hai shu" or "sea mouse," hence the porcelain-style "Hi Mouse" combines the image of a dolphin with that of a mouse, featuring depictions of distinctive Penghu attractions, flora, and fauna, as well as historical sites, with the words "Hi" and "Mouse" on its ears. Next to the Hi Mouse sculpture is a circular tile work titled "Pengpai Youqing," created by artist Huang Bo-wei, integrating local features like Tithonia diversifolia, cacti, and stone weirs. Additionally, a worthy spot to visit in the back of Liao is the Shigandang at the Weilinggong temple square. Legend has it that during the Daoguang period of the Qing dynasty, there were monsters and spirits causing trouble in the area between Houliao and Tongliang, known as "Fengkengkou." In 1842, the Emperor Baosheng, worshiped at Weilinggong, instructed to establish a stone tablet inscribed with the characters for "Chimei Wangliao," which means "evil spirits," to ward off these menaces, making it a rare stone tablet in Penghu with a recorded date.
