Rouyuan Sheng

Taiwan is renowned for a wealth of temples. Each of them is a local center of faith and living folk art museum whose collections include exquisite stone carvings and elaborate wood decorations. If you are keen for a cultural and artistic experience, Lukang Mazu Temple in Lukang is especially not to be missed. First established in 1725, Lukang Mazu Temple underwent extensive renovations and repairs during the Japanese Colonial Era and after the takeover of Taiwan. Only the rear hall remains as intact as ever, where the precious stone carvings preserved from the Qing dynasty are kept.

Upon entering the front hall, you will soon be amazed by the elaborately carved stone windows and wooden beams that greet you with their vibrant beauty, grace and rich cultural heritage. In the main hall, the intricate stone carvings depict the ancient stories of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) — the artistic significance is unarguable. Above the shrine, you will find three wooden plaques given by Qing emperors with their seals placed right in the middle of the plaques. Venerating the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), the rear hall was constructed with pillars adopting five-clawed dragon designs. As ancient Chinese emperors were identified as the sons of dragons, the five-clawed dragon was therefore used as a symbol of imperial power.

Born as Lin Mo-niang (林默娘) in Fujian around 960 CE, Mazu is commonly worshipped by fishermen and sailors as the sea goddess who protects people's lives during their journeys at sea. The worship of Mazu began around the Ming dynasty, and now her followers are scattered all around southern China and Southeast Asia. Lukang was once a thriving port in central Taiwan, where most residents relied primarily on trading and fishing, and the Mazu Temple of course became the most incense-choked temple in town. When the very first of Taiwan's largest rebellion broke out, the Qing general Fu Kang-an (福康安) was sent to suppress the armed insurrection with a force of 20,000 soldiers. After his mission was accomplished, the general received the support from Qianlong Emperor (乾隆皇帝) and started to build up Lukang Mazu Temple to celebrate her blessings during the voyage at sea.

From the first to the third lunar month, myriads of pious worshippers flood to Lukang Mazu Temple from every corner of the island to celebrate Mazu’s birthday. Parades are often involved, and the statue of Mazu will be carried around to patrol the neighborhood. If you happen to be in Lukang during this time of the year, don’t miss out on the pilgrimage! As many night markets in Taiwan have sprung up around temples, which makes a lot of sense if you consider the temple as a community gathering spot that has always had snack vendors outside, and some of them therefore grew into full-blown snack markets or night markets. Around Lukang Mazu Temple, you will find myriads of traditional Taiwanese eateries dishing out oyster omelettes (蚵仔煎), vermicelli (麵線糊), sweet-and-sour plum juice (酸梅湯), steamed buns, mung bean cakes (綠豆糕) and many more.

In Taiwan, there are in total five temples named Longshan, including that one in Lukang. Lukang Longshan Temple is the largest temple in Lukang, whose founding year is unavailable, but most of the structures were completed by 1831. It is also believed to be Taiwan’s most well-preserved Fujianese style architecture from the Qing dynasty. Owing to its architectural, artistic and historical significance, Lukang Longshan Temple has been named a national historic site and one of the most beautiful temples in Taiwan.

Caissons can be commonly seen in traditional temples, but Lukang Longshan Temple is particularly noted for its intricate caisson, which fully demonstrates the skillful craftsmanship back then. It is also the oldest and largest existing caisson in Taiwan. This wood structure was precisely calculated, and craftsmen managed to sustain the whole ceiling without using a single nail. The caisson ceiling not only acts as a resonance chamber but also helps ward off evil spirits.

Lukang Longshan Temple enshrines Guanyin as the primary deity in the main hall, while Dragon King and Wind God are venerated in the rear hall. Every Dragon Boat Festival, the temple hosts a series of celebrations to pray to the Dragon King, who is said to be the dispenser of rain, for favorable weather and good harvest. In 1999, a devastating earthquake struck the center of the island, and Lukang Longshan Temple was severely damaged during the disaster. Thanks to the efforts of many experts in different fields, Lukang Longshan Temple has now been restored to its ancient glory.

Before being open to the public as a museum, Lukang Folk Arts Museum was originally the mansion of the Koo family, known to be the wealthiest family in town. The Koo family's century-long history began with the first-generation patriarch Koo Hsien-jung (辜顯榮), a Taiwanese businessman and politician who was favored and trusted by the Japanese colonizers. He had dealt with monopoly businesses such as salt, sugar and opium, making his entire family one of the wealthiest in Taiwan. In 1973, the family donated their residence together with all the antiques that date back to the Qing dynasty, including clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, furniture, books and many more. All of a sudden, the most common household objects became the finest collections of Lukang Folk Arts Museum.

Built in 1919, this western mansion in a Baroque style was designed by Moriyama Matsunosuke, the Japanese architect behind what is now the Presidential Office Building and the National Museum of Taiwan Literature. With two domes on both sides, Lukang Folk Arts Museum is a perfectly symmetrical structure, and there is another traditional Fujianese style house within the complex that has been standing for more than 200 years, creating a nostalgia that lingers on and keeps inviting you back to this place. In a quaint little town like Lukang, such a luxurious mansion is always in the spotlight. Today, the Koo family does not live here anymore, so the general have a chance to catch a glimpse of their life a century ago.

Notice:

Photography is not allowed in the museum.

Once an important commercial area, Yaolin Street and Putou Street are some of the oldest streets in Lukang. Before the Qing dynasty, Lukang was a bustling port closest to China’s coastal cities than any other ports in Taiwan. For those who traveled across the sea to immigrate to Taiwan or simply to do business, Lukang was always their best option to enter the island. This modest little port town soon became a major metropolis that facilitated the trade relationships between central Taiwan and China. Immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong settled here and started to build up all kinds of shophouses along these narrow, winding streets. In recent years, the local government has taken action to preserve this century-old street and bring it back to life. Full of nostalgia, Yaolin Street and Putou Street are paved with red bricks and flagstones, allowing visitors to travel down the time tunnel and back in time to revisit the splendid lives that our ancestors have lived in the past.

As Lukang developed around the port, in the early years a significant number of workers could be spotted loading and unloading goods, while businessmen gathered to purchase the newly arrived products. However, as time went by, the continued silting of the harbor led to the decline in the importance of Lukang as a port. Today, no ships can be seen around the port anymore, but myriads of eateries, handicraft shops and traditional workshops continue to boom. A wealth of historic sites are also to be found in this quaint little town. For example, Xinzu Temple (新祖廟) is the only official temple that is dedicated to Mazu and was built by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. Lukang Assembly Hall (公會堂), also known as Lukang Cultural Center, is where the Japanese colonizers made policy announcements. Half-Sided Well (半邊井) tells a heartwarming story of neighbors helping other neighbors by sharing half of their own well with those who suffered from a lack of water.

While in Lukang, you should never leave without taking a nice stroll along Yaolin Street and Putou Street. It can be crowded during weekends though. But if you are thirsty during the walk, be sure to find a tea shop and have a iced cup of sour prune drink (酸梅湯) to sip the heat away.

If you keep your eyes peeled, strolling down the narrow, winding lanes in Lukang, you will find a wall stacked with 120 clay urns that used to store wine. This famous urn wall might not be that easy to spot as it blends perfectly among the redbrick houses in its surroundings.

According to traditional customs, local parents, rich or poor, would bury many urns of Shaoxing wine (紹興酒) underground when there was a newborn in the family. They waited until the day their daughter got married, and these urns of wine became dowries, therefore known as “daughter brew (女兒紅).” If it was a son, they would invite friends and family to celebrate his passing the highest imperial civil service examination by drinking up all these “scholar brew (狀元紅).” The urns are so great in number that urn walls have become a unique scene to capture while in Lukang.

During the Japanese Colonial Era, robbers were plentiful in Lukang, and these urns secretly acted as security boxes where locals hid their valuables and cash. They could even peek through the slits between urns to see if there were any robbers or thieves around.

Lukang Shingzu Temple (鹿港新祖宮) is the only Mazu Temple in Taiwan built by empire. It was completed in 1788 when China was under Qianlong Emperor’s rule. Therefore, the left guard, Clairvoyant God, and right guard, Clairaudient God*, beside Mazu wear official robes. It is quite different than regular guardians who expose chest and barefoot.

Official administrator came to Lukang Shingzu Temple for worship on every 1st and 15th lunar month during Qing Dynasty. Once reaching the front gate of the temple, official administrator had to dismount from horse and perform the great kowtow ritual (“three kneelings and nine kowtows**”, which involves kneeling from a standing position three times, and each time, performing the kowtow three times while kneeling). On these dates, folk were not allowed to get in. Until now, there is still a dismount tablet (下馬碑 or also called Xiamabei, which requires riders to dismount from horse) in front of the gate.

The most severe rebellion, started with the formation of anti-Qing secret societies, happened in Taiwan during Qing Dynasty in 1786. The empire sent a general with his soldiers to suppress the rebellion. On the sea, they encountered typhoon and most of the soldiers died in this incident. The general asked Mazu to protect them to reach Taiwan safely. Afterward, the sea was calm, the army landed on Lukang, and the general complete the mission. In order to thank Mazu, the general asked Qianlong Emperor to fund the Mazu Temple. In case of confusion with the Lukang Mazu Temple built in 1725, people named this Mazu temple as Shingzu Temple.

* Clairvoyant God and Clairaudient God are two guards beside Mazu. They help Mazu to protect boats, fishers, and anyone on the sea. One has clear vision that he can gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses. The other one has extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires information by paranormal auditory means. Clairaudience may refer not to actual perception of sound, but may instead indicate impressions of the “inner mental ear”.

** Kowtow, which is borrowed from Mandarin Chinese, is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to have one’s head touching the ground.