Eastern Dragon Horse Introduction
The large bell bowls and wooden fish stone towers located on the east and west sides of Jibei Island's port are not ordinary buildings, but serve as the Stone Guardian of Jibei, commonly referred to as "East Bell West Knock." The Stone Guardian culture in Penghu, like the Wind Lion God in Kinmen, is a unique symbol of faith developed by island residents. Due to the surrounding sea, long northeast monsoons in winter lasting up to six months, and poor soil unsuitable for farming, along with outbreaks of epidemics in the early years believed to be caused by malevolent spirits, the ancestors sought peace, leading to the birth of the Stone Guardian culture in Penghu. The Stone Guardian can take the form of towers, stone tablets, or talismans, and are typically placed around villages, by the sea, on hillsides, and at road crossings. This is not only a belief in daily life for the people of Penghu but also a local cultural characteristic. The two Stone Guardians at Jibei Island's port are said to have been built at the suggestion of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who revealed the plan to the village elders in a dream, to protect the residents and accelerate local prosperity. Thus, on the eastern side of the port, a yellow stone tower known as "Dragon Horse" was constructed, while a red wooden fish stone tower was built on the western side. Adjacent to these stone towers, inscriptions read "Eastern Dragon Horse Strengthens the Mountains and Rivers" and "Western Boundary Sea Clouds Fly with the Sun and Moon," highlighting the spirit of Jibei. The two Stone Guardians correspond to the "Evening Drum" and "Morning Bell" of the Guanyin Temple on the island, becoming an important cultural asset of Jibei.
