Grand Matzu Temple (Grand Matzu Temple)

Taiwan is inherently an island nation with a treacherous Taiwan Strait, which has witnessed risky border crossings from the Mainland to Taiwan. At that time, people could only put their full trust in Matzu's mother, the goddess of the sea most worshiped in Taiwanese culture and society. Initially, the temple area was the palace of the prince of the Ming dynasty- Zhu Shugui, built in 1664. The prince helped Trinh Thanh Cong's government in reclaiming wasteland and expanding its territory. Taiwan. In 1684, the palace was converted into the Matzu model shrine. The temple was restored in 1765 and 1775. In 1818, a fire affected the temple and it fell into quite a state of disrepair at the end of the Qing Dynasty. After the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the temple was once put up for auction for personal use but was canceled at the last minute. In 1946, the city government decided to restore the temple and in 1985 it was recognized as a national historical site in need of protection.

According to Chinese religious tradition, all temples have gatekeepers, most of which are decorated with drawings. At the Matzu shrine, the gatekeepers are represented by nails. With unique historical value, the temple grounds also keep many tombstones written by famous scholars of the feudal period, some of which were inscribed by emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The two sides of the main hall are two stone steles, recording the process of ruling and unifying the country. This is the oldest stele from the Qing Dynasty currently kept in Taiwan. The architectural features of the temple make visitors feel like entering the cultural heritage exhibition area. You will easily recognize many different gods in the main hall, and the most prominent is the holy mother Matzu sitting on a large golden chair. Two tall monster-shaped statues on either side are the servants of the holy mother, who were converted and corrected by Him and vowed to follow her to save the world. The temple has a brochure in English with complete descriptions of the gods in Chinese beliefs.

The temple is located in the Chikan Lou Cultural District, nestled behind several buildings that run along the south side of quiet Minzu Street. To reach the temple, you will have to walk through some alleys in a densely populated area.

The temple is open to visitors from 06.00 AM to 09.00 PM and there is no entrance fee.