Taiwan: Hsinchu City and Around
[March 2025]
[Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Area
]
This page presents photos
from a March 2025 trip to Hsinchu City, a major city midway between Taipei and
Taichung, and two other places, Xinpu township and Beipu village, both located in the Hsinchu
county.
Hsinchu City (新竹市)
Changhe temple (新竹長和宮) and Shuixian temple (水仙宮):
These two temples form a
rare twin-temple ensemble in Taiwan. The Changhe
temple, primarily dedicated to Mazu, was built first in 1742 on an important
market street (Beimen Old Street), where it served as
a meeting place for shop owners, traders, and sailors. By the mid-19th century,
Hsinchu had grown into a major trade center with the Fujian province of China.
Then this temple was too small to adequately serve the needs of all its
worshippers.
So, in 1863, the Shuixian temple, a temple of similar design, was built to
the right of the Changhe temple, adjacent and
parallel to it. Its name refers to Shuixian Zunwang (水仙尊王), a group of five
Immortal Kings of the Waters, collectively worshiped as a guardian deity
presiding over bodies of water and ensuring safe navigation. The chief deity of
this group is Yu the Great (夏禹), the legendary founder of the Xia
Dynasty, known for taming the Great Flood of China. In fact, Shuixian Zunwang had
previously been enshrined
in the rear hall of the Changhe temple, so its
worship was moved into the new Shuixian temple.
Subsequently, the rear hall of the Changhe temple was
converted to enshrine Guanyin Bodhisattva (觀音菩薩).
Since then, this
twin-temple ensemble has been rebuilt and remodeled several times. The two
temples share very similar adjacent facades and communicate directly with each
other. In fact, they feel like a single temple with multiple worship halls.
Facade of the Shuixian temple (left) and painting on one of its a lateral
door (right). The facade of the Changhe temple is
similar, but, during my visit, it was hidden by a makeshift tent erected for a
celebration (partially visible on the left side of the left photo below).
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Paintings of protective
deities on doors (called menschen, 門神) of the Changhe
temple.
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Decorations in the Changhe temple.
Altar dedicated to Mazu.
Statues of Wenchang Dijun (文昌帝君), the Taoist god of culture and
literature, on the left, and of Guandi (关帝), the god of war, on the right.
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Altar dedicated to
Guanyin in the rear hall of the Changhe temple. The
two large statues at the far left and far right of the altar are
Bodhisattva Weituo (韋馱菩薩) and Bodhisattva Qielan
(关帝), respectively. They are customary
guardians of Guanyin and the Dharma. Bodhisattva Qielan
and Guandi [see above] are the deified versions of the same
historical figure (the legendary Chinese general Guan Yu), seen through
different religious lenses.
Altar in the Tai Sui hall
of the Changhe temple. The Tai Sui is a group of 60
deified generals who govern, in rotation, the fortunes and misfortunes of human
beings during every cycle of 60 years. The figure in the center is the general
currently in charge. He is flanked by the Lord of the Northern Dipper (北斗星君), on his right, and the Lord of the Southern Dipper
(南斗星君), on his left.
Entrance
to the main worship hall of the Shuixian temple.
Altar dedicated to the five
Immortal Kings of the Waters Shuixian Zunwang (水仙尊王). The main statue depicts Yu
the Great, the chief deity of this group. In front of it, there is a statue of
the laughing Buddha, Maitreya Buddha (the prophesied future Buddha).
Historic Jinshi
house (進士第):
The area around the Changhe and Shuixian temples is
dotted with crumbling Qing Dynasty buildings. One of them, the Jinshi house, is relatively well preserved. It is the
former residence of Zheng Yongxi (鄭用錫) (1788-1858), the second son of a
wealthy businessman named Zheng Chonhe. In 1823 Yongxi
was the first resident of Taiwan to receive the Jinshi
(進士), the highest degree of the Chinese
imperial examination, hence the name of the house. He then became a politician
of the Qing Dynasty.
Facade of the house.
Wood carving under the
eaves.
Paintings on the doors
(menschen) of the Zheng family temple, located next to the Jinshi
house.
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Hsinchu City God temple (新竹都城隍廟):
A
City God is a kind of supernatural magistrate who protects the city, helps its
human officials to make the right decisions, weighs the moral character of the
city's inhabitants when they die, and decides the kind of afterlife they
deserve. Of the many (around 100) City God temples in Taiwan, this one is
considered one of the most important. Its initial construction dates back to
1747, but most of its current structures date from the restoration of 1924. It
consists of several halls dedicated to the City God and various other Taoist
and Buddhist deities. Surrounded by the Hsinchu's largest night market, the
temple attracts a continuous flow of worshippers and visitors.
Entrance of the temple.
In the main worship hall
of the temple.
Altar dedicated to the
City God. The plaque above the altar reads ″燮理陰陽″, which translates to ″Harmonizing
Yin and Yang″.
Some of the statues in
the hall:
- Left: The Clerk of the
Underworld (who stands barely visible on the right of the above photo). He
holds a brush and a ledger to record the good and bad deeds of all the people
under the jurisdiction of the City God.
- Center: Statue
representing a Herald (報馬仔), who announces the City God's arrival
and clears the path of bad luck during street procession of the City God.
- Right: Statue of
General Xie (謝將軍), a guardian deity of the temple, who
is also responsible for guiding the souls of the good-hearted people to
paradise.
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Ceiling in the hall. It
features two representations of yin and yang at its center: the usual circular
symbol is surrounded by the bagua (八卦), which consists of eight
trigrams, each made of a distinct combination of yin (broken lines) and
yang (solid lines).
Hall dedicated to
Buddhism.
Carved stone panels
adorning the walls of the temple.
Dongning temple (新竹東寧宮):
This temple is primarily
a Buddhist temple with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva as its
principal deity. It also enshrines other deities, both Buddhist and Taoist. The
temple was founded in 1821, but its current buildings date from 1954.
Facade of the temple.
Altars dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
- Left: Altar dedicated
to Shennong Dadi (神農大帝), also known as the ″Divine
Farmer″ (神農), revered as the legendary deity
credited for inventing and teaching agriculture, the use of farming tools, and
herbal medicine. As the patron of farmers, he is often represented with a
rustic appearance, with two small horns on his head, sometimes dressed in
leaves, holding stalks of grains symbolizing his role as the provider of food.
- Right: Statue depicting
Tudigong (土地公), also known as Fude Zhengshen (福德正神), the god of Earth and merit He ensures
local peace, prosperity, and protection of the community.
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Ceilings in the temple.
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Jhulien temple (新竹竹蓮寺):
This popular Buddhist
temple is primarily dedicated to Bodhisattva Guanyin. It dates back to 1781,
but has undergone several restorations since then. The most recent major
restoration occurred in 1958.
Views of parts of the
temple's highly decorated roof.
Courtyard of the temple,
with the main altar dedicated to Guanyin in the rear.
Main altar dedicated to
Guanyin.
Altar dedicated to
Bodhisattva Cundi (準提菩薩), considered in East Asian Buddhism to be
a powerful manifestation of Guanyin, called Eighteen-Armed Guanyin. But in
Indian Buddhism they are two distinct figures.
Altar dedicated to Zhusheng Niangniang (註生娘娘), the goddess of fertility and
childbirth. According to traditional legends, she unites three sisters
representing different stages of child-rearing into a single divine figure,
hence the presence of three statues in the altar.
Altar of multi-faced,
multi-armed Doumu Yuanjun (斗姆元君), the Mother
of the Big Dipper and the tutelary authority over a group of 60 generals known
as the Tai Sui (see the next two photos). During every successive 60-year cycle, these generals are believed to
govern, in rotation, the fortunes and misfortunes of human beings. The
statue of the general currently in charge is temporarily removed from its usual
spot and placed before Doumu Yuanjun (as can be seen in the photo
below, as well as by the empty seat in the following photo).
Blessing Lamps (光明燈), likely stored in preparation of an
upcoming blessing ceremony. Devotees will sponsor the lamps in their own name
or on behalf of their family in order to benefit from the protection of the
Buddha and the Bodhisattvas.
Left: Section of a carved
stone pillar in the main worship hall of the temple. Right: Relief panel on a
temple's wall.
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Mural paintings in the
temple. The painting on the left depicts Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who founded
Zen Buddhism around the 5th and 6th centuries.
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Hsinchu Confucius temple (新竹市孔廟):
This elegant temple is a
true survivor. It was originally built in 1817 during the Qing Dynasty, near
the Hsinchu City God temple (see above). During the Japanese occupation
(1895-1945), it served as a barracks and a public school. After Taiwan's return
to the Republic of China in 1945, the Chinese National Army stationed there for
a time. It is said that the altar in its Dacheng Hall
(see below) even served as a ping-pong table. In the 1950s, the City God and
Confucius temples were surrounded by a market. To allow for the extension of
this market, demolition of the Confucius temple was considered, but protests
from local residents saved its two main structures. With funds raised from
market vendors in exchange to leases of the temple land, the Dacheng Gate and Hall (see below) were moved in 1958 to
their current location, a quiet place next to a park. This new site probably
better fits the Confucian spirit than the former noisy market area.
The Dacheng
Gate (欞星門).
The Dacheng
Hall (大成殿, meaning ″Hall of Great
Achievement″).
Spirit tablets inside the
Dacheng Hall. The main one is the tablet of
Confucius, which embodies his teachings. The other ones are tablets of his main
disciples and of eminent Confucian figures.
Putian temple (新竹市普天宮):
Located south of downtown
Hsinchu, about 2.5km from the Hsinchu train station, this somewhat bizarre
temple was built in the early 1970s. It is primarily dedicated to Guangong (关公), also known as Guandi (关帝), the deified historical Chinese
general Guan Yu (关羽) (c. 160-220) renowned for his moral
virtues (particularly, courage, loyalty and righteousness) and his martial
prowess. He is often considered the Taoist god of war, though specifically as a
sage of war. Due to his moral qualities, he is also venerated as a powerful
protector in both Taoism and Buddhism, and is sometimes associated with
Confucius, as well as with Wenchang Dijun (文昌帝君), the god of culture and
literature. As usual, several other deities are also worshipped in the
temple.
Dominated by a colossal
statue of Guangong, the temple's multi-story main
building houses not only worship halls but also a sort of vast, disused museum
displaying numerous artifacts, most of which are covered in dust. Some are
remarkably beautiful and appear authentic, while others resemble shoddy copies.
Other sections of the main temple building are clearly abandoned and overgrown
with weeds. Moreover, this building is surrounded by what appears to be a
poorly maintained park, populated with crumbling statues. Even the sight of the
golden pagoda-shaped ghost money burner near the entrance is unusual.
Nevertheless, the temple attracts a continuous flow of worshippers.
Massive 36m-high seated
statue of Guangong on the roof of the temple's main
building.
Statues in the park,
below the temple's main building. They face the giant statue of Guangong. Like him, they all have their right thumbs up. Do
they suggest that the boss should never be contradicted?
Left: Another view of the
statue of Gangong, here with one story of the building upon which it rests,
offering a better idea of the statue's size.
Right: Golden ghost money
burner in the temple compound.
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Altar in the main hall of
the temple, with a statue depicting Guangong on the
right.
Hall dedicated to Yue
Lao (月下老人, meaning ″The Old Man Under the
Moon″). He is the mythical deity responsible for matchmaking. Originally
a folk deity, he was incorporated into the Taoist pantheon as the god of love
and matchmaking. He is believed to reside on the moon, where he holds the
"Book of Marriages" (姻緣簿), a registry of predestined partners,
ensuring that unions happen regardless of obstacles.
Both the main statue on
the altar in the back and as the large statue on the left of the photo (likely
a movable statue for ceremonies) depicts Yue Lao.
The other large statue on
the right represents Shouxing (寿星), a Taoist deity associated with long
life, holding a Peach of Immortality in his right hand.
Separate shrine
specifically dedicated to Guanyin, outside the temple's main building.
Statues of deities likely
used in street parades in a small building.
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Heads of statues in the
temple's museum.
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Xinpu
Baozhong Yimin temple (褒忠亭義民廟):
Located about 8km northeast
of downtown Hsinchu, in Xinpu township, this temple
is a major center for the preservation of the Hakka culture in Taiwan. The
Hakka are a subgroup of the Han Chinese family, originally from the northern
Chinese provinces of Henan and Shanxi. Hakka migration to Taiwan began in the 17th
century. Today, the Taiwanese who self-identify as Hakka make up just under 20%
of the population, but this percentage is much higher in the Hsinchu
county. Over time, the Taiwanese Hakka have maintained and developed a
strong identity, with their own dialects and culture.
The Baozhong
Yimin temple is mainly dedicated to the Hakka militiamen killed during the Lin
Shuangwen Rebellion of 1787-88. This rebellion, initially aimed at overthrowing
the Qing rule over the island, pitted two groups of Chinese immigrants in
Taiwan against each other. As the rebels threatened to invade their territory,
the Hakka assembled a volunteer militia to defend their land. They won the
battle, but some 200 of them perished. The bodies of the slain militiamen were
buried together at a place then named 褒忠 (pronounced ″baozhong″), which translates to ″praise
and loyalty″. The Baozhong Yimin temple was
built soon after in front of this grave. Yimin (義民) means ″righteous people″.
The original temple was destroyed in 1895 and a new temple, more or less the
one we can see today, was built on the same site in 1904. The Hakka come here
to venerate the Hakka warriors killed in several uprisings during the Qing era
and the Japanese occupation, symbolized in the temple by spirit tablets.
Facade of the temple.
In the courtyard of the
entrance hall looking back toward the temple's gate barely visible at the
center of the photo.
Still in the entrance
hall, now looking in the opposite direction toward the shrine where the Yimin
spirit tablet is displayed.
Closeup of the Yimin
spirit tablet.
Another shrine with
tablets in the temple.
Beautiful mural in the
temple.
Statues of a dragon in a
pond and a buffalo, in a garden adjacent to the temple. The entire garden is a
little odd, as it feels out of step with the gravity of the temple.
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Family ancestral shrines in Xinpu township:
The small historic center of the Xinpu township (located about 4.5km east of the Baozhong Yimin temple) features an unusual density of
well-preserved ancestral shrines dating from the 19th century (Qing dynasty).
Each shrine is a small temple dedicated to the ancestors of a particular
family. It is a place where living members of that family can venerate their
ancestors, symbolized by spirit tablets. However, these shrines are still
private today and are often closed to visitors.
To see the precise locations of the
seven shrines pictured below, click here. (A Google map with purple markers
will open in a new tab.)
Shrine of the Zhang
family (新埔張氏家廟).
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Shrine of the Liu family
(新埔劉家祠).
Shrine of the Pan family
(新埔潘屋).
Shrine of the Chu family
(新埔朱氏家廟).
Shrine of the Chen family
(新埔陳氏宗祠).
Shrine of the Fan family
(新埔范氏家廟).
Shrine of the Lin family
(新埔林氏家廟).
Beipu
Located about 15km
southeast of downtown Hsinchu, the small town of Beipu
is another center of Hakka culture. It is the site of the 1907 Hoppo Uprising, the first instance of an armed local
uprising against the Japanese rule in Taiwan. The insurgents were a group of
Hakka from Hoppo (present-day Beipu)
supported by local Saisiyat aboriginal people.
Japanese authorities killed more than 100 insurgents.
Citian temple (北埔慈天宮):
Built in the mid-19th
century, this temple is primarily dedicated to Guanyin.
Facade of the temple.
Main courtyard.
Altar dedicated to
Guanyin.
Decorations in the
temple.
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Tianshui Hall (北埔姜屋天水堂):
It was built around 1835
by Jiang Xiuluan, a 5th-rank official of the Qing Dynasty
and a landowner. Jiang Xiuluan was instrumental in
the development of the Jin Guang Fu company, a joint tea venture between Hakka
and Hokkien people, a rare example of cooperation
between these two groups of Han settlers at the time. The Tianshui Hall sits
next to a building of this company dating from the same period, known as the
Jin Guang Fu Hall.
Zongshu Hall (忠恕堂):
This traditional
three-hall house was built in 1922 by the son of Zeng Xuexi, who was the first
resident of Beipu to pass the Chinese imperial
examination. Renovated in the early 2000s, it now houses a cultural foundation
preserving Hakka culture.
Jiang family temple (姜氏家廟):
The Jiang family were
wealthy Beipu tea merchants. They built this temple
in 1924. During World War II, it was requisitioned as a warehouse for the
Japanese military and a machine gun was installed on its roof. The temple was
damaged again in the 1999 earthquake. Its most recent restoration dates from
January 2016.
