Peitian Temple Introduction
Pei Tian Temple was founded in the 26th year of the Kangxi reign. It is said that a local from Dongshi Ban Yue Village, Lin Ma, was a devout believer of Mazu and would travel far and wide to different Mazu temples every year to pay his respects. Due to the difficult journey, he decided that year to bring back a statue of Mazu from Meizhou to worship at his home. On the way back with the statue, Lin Ma stopped to rest at a teahouse under a sycamore tree on the south bank of the Puzi River. When nearby residents learned of this, they requested that he stay for a few days so that the public could pay their respects to Mazu. However, a few days later, when Lin Ma wished to return home, the statue became too heavy to move. After casting lots for divination, it was revealed that the deity wished to remain there forever, so the locals quickly built a small temple to worship her. Since there was a sycamore tree next to the temple, it was named "Sycamore Temple." Subsequently, the settlement developed outward from the temple, and Puzi was formerly known as "Puzaijiao," named after this event. "Sycamore Temple" was later renamed "Pei Tian Temple," and the most credible explanation for this name change is that during the renovation in the 4th year of the Tongzhi reign (1865), the temple board decided to change the name to reflect the idea of "enjoying the fragrance of a thousand autumns, with merits shared between heaven and earth." Due to its flourishing incense offerings, Pei Tian Temple has been continually renovated over the years, with the earliest expansion occurring in the 54th year of the Kangxi reign, when the central hall and worship hall were expanded. Renovations continued approximately every fifty years during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Tongzhi reigns. During the Japanese occupation, the fourth renovation (in 1915) was overseen by a renowned master craftsman from Zhangzhou, Chen Yingbin, employing a "dual site construction" method, which marked the first case of official Japanese subsidies for the construction of temples in Taiwan. Significant changes after World War II included the renovation of the rear hall and the construction of the bell and drum tower in the 36th year of the Republic (1947), followed by the building of a visitor center from 1975 to 1977, and the reconstruction of the east and west side rooms in 1981. The Lantern Festival light display has been a hallmark celebration of Pei Tian Temple for over a century, originating from General Wang De-lu. According to legend, the Jiaqing Emperor granted General Wang permission to hold a lantern festival in his house for the enjoyment of his elderly brothers and sisters, and later he moved the lantern display to Pei Tian Temple to celebrate Mazu and allow the public to appreciate it, thus establishing the lantern festival as a tradition for the temple's Lantern Festival celebrations. Architectural Overview: The architectural layout of Pei Tian Temple is generally shaped like the character "回" (hui), and like typical temples, the central axial space is the most prestigious, featuring in order the most ornate San Chuan Hall, the grand main hall, and the rear hall, which serve as the primary worship spaces. The left and right sides consist of side rooms that are used for offices and other spaces. The bell tower and drum tower are located on both sides of the main hall to highlight the temple's magnificent rooftop lines. Architectural Features: Pei Tian Temple was renovated using the "dual site construction" method. Two groups of craftsmen were invited, with the central axis serving as the dividing line for their work on the left and right sides, achieving competitive and time-saving objectives. Thus, when standing in the center of the San Chuan Hall and looking up at the roof, one can see that the wooden components and carvings on both sides are asymmetrical, showcasing the unique skills of the two groups of craftsmen.
