Zhongliao Anxi Chenghuang Temple Introduction
The Zhongliao Anxi Chenghuang Temple was originally built in the 40th year of the Qianlong era (1775). It was established by the Zhang and Shi families from Anxi County, Fujian, who came to Taiwan with Zheng Chenggong's army and brought the deity from the ancestral temple in Anxi. Following the instructions of the two Chenghuangs, they chose a location to build the temple. Upon completion, they enshrined the main deity, the Great Chenghuang, in a fixed golden statue, which was created by Fujian craftsmen in a clay sculpting method based on the original Chenghuang statue from Anxi County. This statue remains intact and is still enshrined in the temple today, which is quite rare. Shortly after, Zhang Dan, an ancestor of the Zhang family, sought peace and also brought the three Chenghuangs and Mazu from Anxi (now enshrined at the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall) to Taiwan. In the midday sun, they arrived at Zhangliao (now Zhongliao) and took a short rest. When it was time to leave, they found they could not carry the golden statue, so they had to seek divination with a bamboo stick to learn that the three Chenghuangs would settle in this place. From then on, the Chenghuang Temple came to have three Chenghuangs, becoming the center of faith for the two villages. Later, additional statues of the four and five Chenghuangs, Chenghuang's wife, and other deities were made, completing the temple. Today, the temple's scale is the result of several renovations. In recent years, under the planning of the management committee, scholarships and foundations have been established to promote social welfare. Modern restrooms, artistic corridors, arches, and pavilions have been constructed, transforming it into a recreational park and making it the most representative demonstration temple in the county.
