Jibei Wusheng Temple Introduction
Ji Bei Island is the largest island in the northern sea of Penghu, with the main settlement concentrated around Guanyin Temple and Wu Sheng Temple. Like most areas in Penghu, the early residences in Ji Bei commonly used coral stone or basalt. Coral stone is limestone formed from coral that has died and accumulated on the seabed. When the salt content of the rock reduces, it can be used as a building material. During construction, iron rods were first nailed to the ground to tie ropes, marking out the area for the stone wall, after which the stones were neatly stacked to complete the structure, which can be considered a characteristic of Penghu architecture. The Wu Sheng Temple, located at the center of the settlement, is the oldest temple in Ji Bei and is a two-story building dedicated to the main deity, Wenheng Shengdi, who is also known as Guan Gong or Guan Sheng Dijun. Nearby, Guanyin Temple, along with Wu Sheng Temple, serves as a center of faith for the villagers. According to legend, over a hundred years ago, a red light appeared in the eastern sea of Ji Bei, and the villagers discovered a golden statue of Guanyin. They brought it back and initially enshrined it in Wu Sheng Temple, later raising funds to build the current Guanyin Temple, which contributed to the prosperity of Ji Bei. Behind the settlement, many vegetable farms can be seen, which are buildings constructed with basalt or coral stone walls to withstand strong winds, allowing crops to grow successfully. Heading north to the coast, one can see beautiful beaches and sandbars. In recent years, due to the accumulation and transportation by ocean currents, the sandbar at the northwest end of Ji Bei Island has been continuously growing, forming a lagoon and almost connecting to the land, significantly increasing the area of Ji Bei Island!
