Religion

Do you know ?

Luzhou is known for its "temple culture."

Religious beliefs come in many shapes and forms.

Do you want to know where so many different religious come from?

Stories about the pantheon of gods, where did these tales come from?

Scroll down to know!

Folk beliefs

Early immigrants had to face the sinister black water ditch when they crossed the sea to come to Taiwan. They would feel uneasy and fearful, so most people would bring the faith of their hometown to Taiwan. After they settled down, due to inadequate water and soil, poor sanitation, and frequent armed fights, these gods became the spiritual sustenance of immigrants. This is how folk beliefs developed.

Yonglian Temple

Want to know the development history of Yonglian Temple?What is the story of this century-old building?

Yonglian Temple, built in the late Qing Dynasty, is the center of faith in Luzhou. It worships the Goddess of Mercy. The story was that two monks originally planned to take the statue of the Goddess of Mercy to beg for alms. Unfortunately, a typhoon derailed their plans and they floated within the vicinity of Taipei Port. They met a merchant the next day who prayed to the Goddess, "If business goes smoothly, I will visit when I return." Business indeed went well and the merchant came back to express his thanks. While the merchant was worshipping, the incense burner caught fire. It was the Goddess' way of saying that she wants to stay in Luzhou, so the villagers built a temple made of thatch. Later, as more people became believers, Yonglian Temple was rebuilt to better accommodate the growing number of believers. Why is Yonglian Temple called by this name? It is said that five lotus flowers were discovered when the pond was dug and they floated to the top of the water. After asking the Buddha for instructions, it was named "Yonglian Temple."

Bao You Palace

The oldest temple in Luzhou

The Blessing Palace is also called the Palace of the Kings, and the main deity worshipped is the Prince of Chifu. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Mr. Chen Deyuan brought Taiwan from Fujian, so he brought the statue of the prince of Chi Fu from his hometown to bless safety. Because of the increasing number of believers, this temple was built. At that time, this temple was the only temple in Tambuk for the princes of Chi Mansion, and it was also the temple with the longest history in Luzhou. Because the prince of Chi Fu brought it to Mr. Chen Deyuan from Quanzhou, Fujian, this temple became the early belief center of the Chen family in Luzhou. The Baohe Palace was originally made of wood. After many reconstructions, there are three immortals of Fu, Lu and Shou, colored cut and glued on the roof, as well as colored phoenixes and unicorns. . The main hall is dedicated to the three large statues of the princes of the pond, which was newly added during the third reconstruction.

Baohe Palace

Can't build due to many obstacles

Located next to Luzhou Elementary School, it is dedicated to the deity Baosheng Dadi and was built in the third year of the reign of Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty. Because it enshrines Baosheng Dadi and is located in Heshangzhou (the old name of Luzhou), it was named "Baohe Palace." It is the center of faith of the Li family. The statue of Baosheng Dadi enshrined in the Baohe Palace came from Jinanshan, Baijiao on the mainland. In the 14th year of the reign of Qianlong, the statue was brought to Luzhou from his hometown of Jinanshan Temple by Li Gongyi, the ancestor of the Li family. It has been in Taiwan for nearly 200 years. Before the temple was built, the believers would go every year to the Baoan Temple in Taipei's Dalongdong, on the other side of the Danshui River, to participate in various religious events such as Pudu. Although Luzhou saw more and more people become believers, many of them thought that the Yonglian Temple should be built first, ahead of the family temple (e.g. the Baohe Palace). When construction was to start during the Japanese Occupation, the "Japanization Movement" prohibited the local people from worshipping or making offerings to their ancestors, or participating in various temple celebrations. Japanese officials strictly controlled the activities and applications of Taoist groups. The ancestors of the Li family faced the difficulty of building the temple. As the Li family faced the difficulty of building the temple, it was only completed when they registered the temple among the assets of a non-existent member of the family named Baohe Li.

Zhong Yi Temple

The Belief Center of Wuguzhou Villagers

The Zhongyi Temple is enshrines the princes of the Chi Mansion. It was named Zhongyi Temple because it symbolizes the meaning of "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, loyalty and blessing to the people." The Zhongyi Temple was originally built in Zhouhou Village (present-day Wugu Erzhong Floodway in New Taipei City), and is the center of faith for the villagers in Wugu Zhouhou Village. Later, because of the construction of the second flood channel, it was first moved to the bank of the Luzhou Huitan Re-zoning Area for temporary resettlement, and finally moved to the current location of the Zhongyi Temple (on Chang'an Avenue). Because the neighborhood has become lively, incense is also flourishing, and it is considered to be one of the most prosperous temples in Luzhou. The current Zhongyi Temple is really lively. Outside the temple, many food stalls will open at night, just like a night market. When the Pokémon game became popular a few years ago, this place has also become a popular place for everyone to catch Pokémon.

Jiu Xiong Temple


What!! Koxinga has been to Luzhou?!

The main deity enshrined in this Jiuxiong Temple is Koxinga. That's because of the connection this temple has with this hero! There is a big tree next to the current Jiuxiong Temple called Jiuxiong Tree. In fact, there was no temple, only this big tree. It is said that when Koxinga led the army to drive away the Dutch, he passed through Luzhou and buried a lot of munitions (artillery) here, so the tree was planted to mark the locaitoin of the place. Although Jiuxiong Temple is not big, its incense is flourishing. Because the tree was too old, it was about to die. Finally it grows out again. Another feature of this tree is that believers whose children sleep fitfully and cry at night will tie a red cloth to the branches of the Jiuxiong tree to pray for the children to be sleep peacefully and be safe and sound. This has become another wonder of Jiuxiong Temple.

Catholicism

It was first introduced to northern Taiwan by the Spaniards, and after they were driven away by the Dutch, there was no development. It was not until Father Guo Degang came to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty that Catholicism began to truly establish a foothold in Taiwan. The main spirit of Catholicism is to care for the society with a sacrifice and dedication attitude. There is a book on the Bible, with Jesus as the main book.

He Shang Zhou Catholic Church

Teresa Ten played here when she was young!?

What is now the "Luzhou Catholic Church" Zhongzheng Road was inaugurated on March 19, 1887. It is the first Catholic church in northern Taiwan. Even the international star Teresa Teng often visited to pray there she was young. The believers of the Catholic Church in Luzhou are mostly indigenous peoples from the central and southern regions; there are relatively few locals. Of course, there are many believers in Luzhou today, especially among new residents! In recent years, there have been common activities and gatherings between the Luzhou Catholic Church and the Luzhou Presbyterian Church. Every Easter, the clergy and the faithful all hold prayer activities together to pray for everyone. It is a very special event.

Christianity

It was first brought to Taiwan by the Dutch, but after being driven away by Zheng Chenggong, it gradually flourished after the opening of Hong Kong for trade in the Qing Dynasty.

It attaches great importance to believers to repent, reform and humble. The book is a book of the Bible, with the life of Jesus as the main axis.

He Shang Zhou

Chau Chapel

It turns out that Ma Kai has not only been to Danshui, but also Luzhou?!

Heshangzhou Chapel is the current "Luzhou Chapel", founded by Dr. Ma Kai in 1874. When he was building this chapel, Dr. Ma Kai recorded that the local residents did not accept Catholicism at the time, insulted them, and even threw stones at them, which made them very troubled. So when the church was built, two Chinese-style pagoda-like roofs were built on the roof of the church to replace the cross, hoping to eliminate the hostility of the residents feel towards a different religion.