National Historic Site Shueixian Temple

Xingang was originally part of the Bengang area and developed very early. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was an important port in Taiwan. Therefore, to pray for safe navigation and prosperous trade, local residents built three large temples: Shueixian Temple, Bengang Mazu Temple, and Xietian Temple. Shueixian Temple, one of these, was founded in the 4th year of Qianlong (1739). Its original location was on Bengang Street in Jiuzhuang. Due to its humble state, in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780), the *Gongsheng* (tribute student) Lin Kaizhou initiated fundraising for its reconstruction. In the 8th year of Jiaqing (1803), the Beigang River flooded, destroying the Bengang urban area and the three large temples. Fortunately, by the 19th year of Jiaqing (1814), the public and artisans utilized some salvaged building materials to reconstruct the temple at its current site, featuring two main halls and left and right annexes. In the 28th year of Daoguang (1848), a rear hall was added to enshrine Emperor Guan (Guandi Shengjun), who was originally worshipped at Xietian Temple. The names of donors, their businesses, ship numbers, and various expenditure items for this rear hall expansion were meticulously recorded on stone tablets on the walls of the front hall. A century later, in the 37th year of the Republic (1948), Shueixian Temple underwent another major renovation. The most recent restoration project for the main historic structure was completed in the 81st year of the Republic (1992). **Architectural Overview:** Entering Xingang Shueixian Temple, you will pass through four main halls. The outermost is the Front Hall (Sanchuan Hall). Across the central courtyard are the Worship Hall and the Main Hall, which enshrines Yu the Great (Shueixian Zunwang). The innermost Rear Hall houses a statue of Guan Yu (Guansheng Dijun). Each main hall has a width of three column bays, and the left and right sides are connected front to back by corridors. Shueixian Temple is a National Historic Site, recognized and protected by the nation for several reasons: its long history spanning over 200 years; and having undergone numerous repairs due to floods and earthquakes, one can observe elements from the Qing Dynasty (Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang periods) and the early post-WWII era incorporated into its structure. The temple's carved beams, painted rafters, and ingenious wooden structures also make it a rare masterpiece of traditional architecture. It's worth noting that the worship of Water Immortals (Shueixian) in Taiwan is far less prevalent than Mazu worship. Therefore, temples dedicated to Water Immortals were only built in early immigrant-developed port areas like Xingang, Tainan, and Penghu. Consequently, Taiwan's three most prominent Shueixian Temples are located in these three places. **Architectural Features:** A glance upwards within Shueixian Temple reveals a wealth of exquisite wood carvings and colorful paintings. Notably, in addition to common wood carving themes such as *aoyu* (dragon-headed fish), lions, phoenixes, and flowers and birds, rarer motifs include elephants and dragons. Furthermore, the architectural mechanics of the Shueixian Temple's front hall roof are remarkably ingenious, utilizing the lever principle of a seesaw to support the central weight of the eaves, a design rarely seen in Taiwan. The temple also boasts murals and door gods painted by the renowned Tainan artist Chen Yufeng, which are also worth appreciating.