Bao'an Temple Introduction
The Belief Center of Yehliu Fishing Village - Baoan Temple. Every place has its guardian deity, right? Many people in Taiwan have eaten Wanli crabs, but have you heard that the Wanli area also has a guardian deity? Located next to Yehliu Fishing Port in Wanli District, Baoan Temple primarily enshrines the "Kaizhang Shengwang," who is the most revered deity among the local fishermen and serves as a spiritual refuge. According to the accounts of the elders, the origin of this deity dates back to when the ancestors accidentally discovered a ship at sea filled with materials to build a temple and a statue of a king. The villagers sought a place for it, eventually selecting the current site of Baoan Temple. The temple was originally smaller in scale, primarily constructed of stone materials brought from overseas. After multiple renovations and expansions, much of it has now disappeared, leaving behind only some stone pillars and bases for future generations to reflect upon. The faith in the guardian deity "Kaizhang Shengwang" has a long history, and the "Yehliu Divine Purification Festival" held on the 15th day of the first lunar month has over a hundred years of history. It is one of the few intangible cultural heritage events registered as folk culture, renowned alongside the Lantern Festival with "Northern Sky Lanterns and Southern Firecrackers." Its most notable feature is "coming from the water and going to the fire." The ceremony includes four main activities: "Purification at Sea," "Full Hold of Catch," "Deity Purification of the Port," and "Deity Crossing Fire," making it a unique century-old religious ritual in Taiwan.
