Sansheng Temple Introduction
San Sheng Temple, located in the southern part of the Tou She Basin, is dedicated to San Shan Guo Wang as the main deity. Although the temple is not grand and spectacular, it exudes an antique charm and serves as the faith center of the Tou She area. According to historical records, San Shan Guo Wang was originally worshipped separately in private homes, and it was quite effective in preventing raids from indigenous people and bringing rain during ancient times. Therefore, the residents advocated for the construction of a temple for communal worship and prayer. The Tou She area originally belonged to the territory of the Saisiyat indigenous people, and local place names such as "Fan Zi Mu" and "Fan Zi Dian" serve as evidence of this. Early Han settlers often faced disturbances and attacks from the indigenous people while clearing the land, prompting them to invite San Shan Guo Wang to be their guardian deity. It is said that whenever indigenous people appeared on nearby mountain tops, San Shan Guo Wang would manifest and lead soldiers in drills to scare them away, allowing the residents to live and work in peace. San Shan Guo Wang has strong Hakka cultural significance and is mainly found in Hakka communities, but the Tou She area is primarily inhabited by Min Nan people, and the local residents refer to the three mountain deities as "San Xian Guo Wang," which is quite unique.
