Jiaoxi Sietian Temple
Main Deities
About
Where other Guan Di temples enshrine a gilded statue, Jiaoxi Sietian Temple holds the only 'Silk Guan Gong' in Taiwan — an image of Guan Sheng Di Jun built up layer upon layer from silk. This is the largest and most incense-thronged Guan Di temple in northern Taiwan, dedicated to Guan Sheng Di Jun (Guan Gong) and one of the most important centers of faith in Yilan. Its graceful 'Chunqiu Tower' is a quiet delight, while the 'Turtle King' turtle-begging rite on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month is anything but quiet — worshippers borrow a fortune-turtle from Guan Di and return it, doubled, the following year. For anyone hoping to pray for career, for justice, or for peace, this is a must-visit on the way into Yilan.
History
The story begins with a monk who crossed the sea to Taiwan. In 1804, the monk Tingshuo of Zhangzhou, Fujian, carried a statue of Guan Sheng Di Jun over the water, settled in Jiaoxi, and built a temple. This was then the vital gateway for pioneers opening up the Kavalan region, and as the Han migrants of the frontier toiled to build new lives, Guan Di became the steadiest anchor in their hearts. From the Qing through the Japanese era the temple was expanded and repaired many times, and a large-scale reconstruction after the war gave it the imposing form it wears today. Branch statues of Sietian Temple's Guan Di are now found across Taiwan, its grand festivals in the first and sixth lunar months drawing great crowds — and the temple stands as one page in the history of the Lanyang Plain's settlement.
Jiaoxi Sietian Temple
Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Visitor Info
Address
No. 51, Sec. 1, Zhongshan Rd, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Region
Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County