Donglong Temple Wangye Faith Heritage Museum Introduction
Donglong Cultural Center features a rich collection of folk artifacts and is home to the Donglong Temple Lord Wang Belief Cultural Museum, which covers over 200 square meters. The building's exterior showcases a blend of palace architecture and traditional Minnan design. Located on the third floor of the center, the Donglong Temple Lord Wang Belief Cultural Museum is distinguished by its presentation of the origins of the Lord Wang belief and the historical rural temple fairs that welcome deities. The museum has amassed a significant collection of documents related to the early Lord Wang belief and has invited sculptors to create wooden carvings of various formation styles such as the Song Jiang formation and the centipede formation from the Lord Wang belief, represented in camphor wood. Each figure displays lively and expressive features, allowing visitors to experience the lively performances of different formations. Moreover, through static displays of artifacts, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the folk arts related to the rituals of inviting and sending off deities, as well as temple fairs and religious ceremonies. Hero of the Water Margin Museum is another notable feature of the Donglong Temple Lord Wang Belief Cultural Museum, showcasing terracotta figures of the 108 heroes from the "Water Margin". Originally, there was no connection between Liangshan Marsh and the Lord Wang belief; however, due to the affection of the temple's management, these figures were collected. Later, renowned artisans from the Shawan pottery workshop in Guangdong, China, were commissioned to spend three years creating 108 vivid terracotta figures. Each statue exhibits exquisite craftsmanship and vividly captures the rugged character of the heroes who aid the weak, making this a rare folk art piece in Taiwan. The Ritual Artifacts Museum, located on the east side of the fourth floor, serves as an extension of the Lord Wang Belief Cultural Museum. It primarily displays artifacts related to folk rituals and sacrifices, including gold and silver paper offerings, ritual implements, and birthday celebration arrangements, with detailed explanations of their use. This museum serves as a thematic repository for the study and preservation of folk customs.
