Shengang Fu'an Temple (Chinese: 伸港福安宮; pinyin: Shēngǎng Fú'ān Gōng) is a temple located in Shengang Township, Changhua County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, who is the deified form of Lin Moniang.
| Fu'an Temple | |
|---|---|
福安宮 | |
 Exterior of the temple in 2018 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Taoism |
| Deity | Mazu |
| Location | |
| Location | Shengang, Changhua County |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Geographic coordinates | 24°09′45″N 120°29′19″E / 24.1625°N 120.4885°E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1677 |
| Direction of façade | West |
In 2015, a large portion of the temple was destroyed in a fire. The temple is currently being reconstructed.
History edit
Fu'an Temple's history traces back to its establishment in 1677 by Quanzhou settlers from mainland China.[1][2] According to legend, after a fisherman picked up a piece of driftwood, Mazu appeared and instructed him to construct a temple, using the driftwood as material for the statue. During Japan's rule over Taiwan, the temple was completely rebuilt between 1917 and 1918. The temple was then expanded in 1971 and 1993, and a paifang in front of the temple was added in 1980.[2]
On 16 May 2015 at around 11:00 PM, a fire broke out within Fu'an Temple and engulfed most of the temple.[1] Two days later, temple officials found the remains of two wooden Mazu statues inside the temple: the Zhendian Mazu statue (鎮殿媽祖) was charred beyond recognition, and the Kaiji Mazu statue (開基媽祖) was completely burned into ash.[3] The only surviving Mazu statue was not inside the temple because it was to be used in a festival the following week; after the fire, it was immediately brought back and placed in the remains of the temple.[4] A groundbreaking ceremony for the temple's reconstruction was held on 4 April 2018, three years after the fire due to land use issues.[5]
Traditions edit
As the primary Mazu temple in the area, the temple hosts an event known as "gifting the censer" (送大爐). Each year, Fu'an Temple passes an incense censer to one of the eighteen villages in Shengang and Hemei. The censer is placed in the village's main temple, and that temple hosts a celebration for all the villages. The village is chosen through poe divination. On 12 May 2020, this event was recognized by the Changhua County Government as a protected cultural tradition.[6][7]
References edit
- ^ a b 劉曉欣 (16 May 2015). "彰縣伸港福安宮大火 近千坪宮廟陷入火海" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ a b "大同村福安宮". Cultural Resources Geographical Information System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Academia Sinica. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 湯世名 (18 May 2015). "燒成黑炭信徒痛哭 福安宮開基媽尋獲！" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 洪璧珍 (17 May 2015). "彰化福安宮廟會如常 越燒人氣越旺" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). China Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 劉曉欣 (28 March 2018). "浴火再生！伸港福安宮 兒童節動工重建" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ 簡慧珍 (14 April 2020). "伸港鄉之光 「彰化新港十八庄送大爐」登錄文化資產" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "彰化新港十八庄送大爐". National Cultural Heritage Database Management System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 25 November 2020.