Bao'an Temple Introduction
The Faith Center of Yehliu Fishing Village - Bao'an Temple. Every place has its guardian deities, right? Many people in Taiwan have eaten the Wanli crab, but have you heard that the Wanli area also has a guardian god? Located next to the Yehliu Fishing Port in the Wanli District, Bao'an Temple is dedicated to the "Kaizhang Shengwang," the most revered deity among local fishermen and a source of spiritual solace. According to oral traditions from elders, the origin of this deity comes from the discovery of a ship at sea, carrying materials for building a temple and a statue of the god. The locals searched for a place for it and chose the current site of Bao'an Temple. In the past, the temple was smaller, primarily built of stone, with materials originally coming from overseas. After numerous renovations and expansions, most of them have disappeared; today, only some stone platforms and bases remain for future generations to reminisce and reflect. The belief in the guardian deity "Kaizhang Shengwang" in the Wanli area has a long history. The "Yehliu God Purification Culture Festival," held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, has been celebrated for over a hundred years and is one of the few recognized as an intangible cultural asset of folklife. It's a festivity on par with the Lantern Festival and the "Northern Sky Lanterns, Southern Firecrackers." Its greatest feature is "coming from the water, going through the fire," with rituals including "Sea Purification Patrol," "Full Holds of Fish," "Gods Purifying the Port," and "Gods Passing Through Fire," which constitutes a unique century-old traditional religious ceremony in Taiwan.
