Shui-Xian Temple National Historic Site Introduction
Xingang originally belonged to the Benang area and was developed early on. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it became an important port in Taiwan. To pray for maritime and commercial prosperity, the locals built three large temples: Shui-Xian Temple, Benang Mazu Temple, and Xie-Tian Temple. Among these, Shui-Xian Temple was established in the 4th year of Qianlong (1739) and was originally located on Jiuzhuang Benang Street. Due to its simplicity, Lin Kaizhou, a tribute student, initiated fundraising for its reconstruction in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780). In the 8th year of Jiaqing (1803), the Beigang River flooded, destroying the Benang urban area and the three temples. Fortunately, in the 19th year of Jiaqing (1814), the people and craftsmen used some recovered materials to rebuild it at its current site, which includes two main halls and flanking rooms. In the 28th year of Daoguang (1848), a rear hall was added to house the deified figure of Guandi originally worshipped in Xie-Tian Temple. The contributors' guild names, ship names, and various expenses for this addition were recorded on a stone tablet in the front hall. A century later, in the 37th year of the Republic of China (1948), Shui-Xian Temple underwent another renovation. The most recent conservation work was completed in the 81st year of the Republic of China (1992). Building Introduction: Upon entering the Xingang Shui-Xian Temple, visitors will pass through four main halls. The outermost is the front hall (San Chuan Hall), separated by a courtyard from the worship hall and the main hall that houses the deity Da Yu (Shui-Xian Zun Wang). The innermost rear hall enshrines a statue of Guandi (Guansheng Dijun). Each main hall has a width of three column spans, and there are corridors connecting the left and right sides. Shui-Xian Temple is a national historic site, and its significance is recognized and protected for several reasons: it has a history of over 200 years, has undergone many repairs due to floods and earthquakes, and features sections reflecting reconstruction efforts from the Qing period (Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang) and the early post-World War II era. The carved beams, painted rafters, and clever wooden structure of Shui-Xian Temple are also rare treasures of traditional architecture. It is worth noting that the worship of Shui-Xian in Taiwan is not as prevalent as the belief in Mazu, leading to the establishment of temples primarily in port areas developed by early immigrants, such as Xingang, Tainan, and Penghu, thus making the largest Shui-Xian temples located in these regions. Architectural Features: Looking up in Shui-Xian Temple reveals an abundance of wood carvings and paintings, with common motifs including arowana (dragon head and fish body), lions, phoenixes, and flowers and birds; rarer themes include elephants and dragons. Additionally, the architectural mechanics of the roof over the front hall ingeniously employ the principle of leverage like a seesaw to support the weight in the center of the eaves, a design rarely seen in Taiwan. The temple also features murals and door gods painted by Tainan master Chen Yufeng, which are worthy of appreciation.
