The visual impact of the religious industry
Religious culture is interdependent with blessings and misfortunes
- Cycling Chronicles and Random Notes around Taiwan (2) Continued
After lunch at Guanyin, we rode south onto Provincial Highway 15 at 12:20, along the Ride Route 15 all the way to the end, then follow the merged Route 61, ride all the way south through Hsinchu, across Xiangshan, ride through Houlong, ride all night, and ride to Yuanli - I am destined to stay at Cihe Palace in Yuanli guest house.
The Guanyin Village-Ganquan Temple, Baosheng Palace in Yongan Village, Xinwu Township, Tianhou Palace in Bengang Village, Xinwu Township-Tianhou Palace, Zhaoling Palace in Xinwu Township-Zhaoling Palace, Xinwu Township Fengxiang Chihe Palace - Chihe Palace, Xinpuli in Tongxiao Town - (Wudang) Gongchao Yuntian Palace, Cihe Palace in the garden - Cihe Palace, as well as many unknown temples and temples along the way, and the The unknown temples and temples that have been renovated or newly built not only leave a deep impression on people, but also give cyclists a great visual impact.
Along the way, from the visual novelty at the beginning, from the initial sensory enjoyment and excitement, to a certain degree of aesthetic fatigue that later developed...; Taiwan's religious industry and religious culture have not only brought great benefits to the author, an atheist. It is a great visual impact, and it also evokes the deep childhood memories of the author: more than fifty years ago, around my hometown, there were many villages named after temples or monasteries - such as Nainai Temple, Gushan Temple, etc. There are too many; on our continent, there are temples in every village and shrines in every household. The gods worshiped are also a mixture of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Quite a few gods are civil servants, military generals, gods and emperors of the past dynasties. Most people believe in them. Intertwined with superstition, kindness and ignorance coexist; although there is some resurgence among mainland Chinese people today, it is no longer the obsession or belief of the past, but more of a psychological sustenance for older people.
On the first day of cycling around Taiwan Island, I saw so many religious sites and religious industries on the west coast of northern Taiwan. For the author, it not only evoked childhood memories; from these temples and temples It is not difficult to see some of the context of Taiwan’s religious beliefs and religious culture. The empirical investigation and observation of these religious temples and temples will naturally produce many insights and ideological sublimations, and these insights and ideological sublimations will undoubtedly It is still a huge gain. The understanding of religious thought and religious culture will definitely be beneficial, and the sublimation of the author's personal thoughts will also shine brightly. If so, wouldn't it be really beneficial? .
Today's island of Taiwan not only still retains the situation of half a century ago with temples in every village and shrines in every household. The gods worshiped are also a mixture of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. There are also developed and carefully constructed temples and palaces. Each one is more solemn and grander than the other. Everywhere you go, you are constantly greeted by magnificent temples and palaces that have been repaired or rebuilt and have the beauty of traditional art. In the planning and design of traditional temple buildings, In addition to the basic judgment of good and bad fortune that must be observed by Lu Ban Ruler, what is more important is to determine the heavenly father, the earth mother, and the yin and yang according to the concept of Lu Ban Gong's Qi Zao Lun Jue, in order to achieve the goal of matching the weather, getting the right place, and harmonizing people. And - but in terms of thoughts and concepts, faith and superstition are still intertwined, and kindness and ignorance coexist.
Baosheng Palace is located in Yong'an Village, Xinwu Township, Taoyuan County: the main god is Baosheng Emperor, a solemn and peaceful temple, about one kilometer away from Yong'an Fishing Port. Baosheng Palace is filled with yellow lanterns, huge and The rare incense burner looks more solemn and simple in a sea of lights, and the incense continues all day long. The temple is equipped with the Qinghan Auxiliary Fund and the Immortality Club. Social activities for the elderly are well organized, and social welfare undertakings are not left behind. It is famous for enshrining the Emperor Baosheng and assisting the Qinghan and Immortality.
According to local people, the temple was built by the temple because the gods prayed for rain, and the people were grateful. Legend has it that during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, tenant farmers were too poor to pay rent, so they wanted to use the statue of the god enshrined in their homes to pay for the rent. Feeling pity for him, he took him back to his hometown to worship. There was a severe drought and the farmland was cracked, making it difficult to cultivate. At that time, he responded to the people's request and prayed to the gods. Sure enough, rain fell. The villagers were overjoyed. From then on, they often went to pray and worship the gods. Because we often go to the family temple to pray and worship the gods, it is inconvenient to go back and forth. It is precisely because of the inconvenience of worshiping in the family temple that the local people jointly donated land to build the temple. Baosheng Palace carries the Yongan people’s desire for a peaceful and happy life. and expectations.
Because Taiwan is surrounded by the sea and has frequent maritime activities, Mazu has become one of the most commonly believed gods in Taiwan. Since believers call Mazu the Holy Mother of God in Heaven, most Mazu temples are also called Tianhou Temple; whether in small or large villages, , , or a trading city, Mazu Temple and Tianhou Temple can be seen among the settlements in the mountains and seas. Speaking of Mazu Temple, it should be taken for granted in the southeast coast and Taiwan. It is commonplace.
Furthermore, because most of the early Taiwanese immigrants came to Taiwan from Fujian and Guangdong, the currents in the Taiwan Strait were turbulent and typhoons were frequent, so praying to the sea god for blessing became the only option for people; as early as the beginning of immigration, due to the improvement of the immigrants' sailing skills The lack of water and the raging waves and sea winds often bring huge losses to people's lives and property. Therefore, when immigrants cross the Taiwan Strait, they will worship gods related to the ocean on the boat in order to seek peace. Therefore, Mazu, the goddess of the sea, became the Queen of Heaven. The most popular religious belief along the coast of Taiwan - now it has become the most common folk belief in Taiwan.
Riding all the way, I can see that Mazu culture is actually the main religious culture in Taiwan. The mainstream of religious culture is still Mazu culture - Mazu Temple and Tianhou Temple can be seen everywhere in Taiwan. It is said that in Taiwan alone, there are There are more than 500 Mazu temples, of which 39 temples have documented history. Among them, 2 were built in the Ming Dynasty and 37 were built in the Qing Dynasty. The first thing I saw while riding this way was the Xinwu Temple in Taoyuan County. Thean Hou Temple at No. 10, 2nd next door to Xiangbengang Village - when I first met it, I was really shocked by the temples, temples and Mazu statues on the northwest coast of Taiwan.
Riding along the Provincial Highway 15 on the west coast towards Hsinchu in the south, you can see a Mazu statue known as the tallest in the world from a distance. This statue of the Holy Mother in Heaven is about ten feet tall, which is more than thirty meters. There are also sixteen stone dragon pillars in the temple, which are also extremely rare stone sculptures - Thean Hou Temple was founded in 1826 AD. At the entrance of the temple is enshrined the Holy Mother of God (Mazu), which is made of high-grade bronze and weighs a total of 120 tons. It is said that the Tianhou Temple in Bengang Village, Xinwu Township, is "known as" the world's tallest bronze Mazu statue and has become an important local landscape.
This Tianhou Palace in Bengang Village, Xinwu Township, was first built in the fourth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. It was founded by thirty local people who each contributed one stone from the grain as a fund. The Mazu statue enshrined was obtained from the incense from Chaotian Palace in Beigang in the south. During the Pacific War, an Allied bomb fell on a tree branch behind the temple. The residents survived the disaster. The people were grateful for Mazu's divine power and inspiration, so the incense flourished. Thean Hou Temple was built at No. 10 under the banyan tree in Bengang Village. It was originally a tutucuo-style temple. After many renovations, it came into its current state. The Mazu bronze statue project started in November 1999. It took more than two years and cost 2,300 yuan. Spending more than 10,000 yuan, the completed statue is about 30 meters high and weighs 120 tons. The towering "Bronze Mazu Statue" has not only become the new landmark of Mazu Temple and Xinwu Township, but also the statue of Mazu and its Tianhou Temple. A famous scenic spot on the northwest coast of Taiwan.
The Mazu statue I saw in front of Xinwu Tianhou Temple is indeed very tall. As for whether it is the tallest in Taiwan, the tallest in China, or the tallest in the world, the author is naturally not sure, because many temples "claim" it. It is the largest in the world, but the actual situation is not like this. However, this bronze statue of Mazu is indeed the tallest and most beautiful Mazu - the Queen of Heaven - that the author has seen while riding around Taiwan.
-----------------------To be continued
