Miaoshou Temple (Grade 3 historic site)
Built in 1755 (during the Ch’ing Dynasty), this is the temple of the Great Emperor Baosheng (literal translation: “Life Protection Emperor”, god of medicine). Many emperors have given the God honorary titles throughout history, thus making Great Emperor Baosheng quite popular among the public. The name of the temple comes from the honorary title given to the God by Emperor Chengzu during the Ming Dynasty (“Miao” meaning “wonderful”, and “Shou” meaning “longevity”). Children often gather to play in the square in front of the temple, therefore the temple is also known as the “Temple for Children”. Because it is located in a low-lying area, the temple often suffers from floods. The temple underwent renovation in 1985, and the project was completed in 1989.
Special features: there is a pair of small granite lions, about a foot high, in front of the temple. It is said that they were donated to the temple by a wealthy government official who was originally a poor scholar who later passed the government official exam. The altar in the back, which is the worship space for the Jade Emperor, is decorated with shiny golden colors. Two plaques that date back to the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (Ch’ing Dynasty) have been renovated and are both visible in the temple. Perhaps the most interesting part of the temple is a pair of stone pillars, which are decorated with engraving of bats and inscribed with the name of the pillars (characters were written by the Ch’ing Dynasty Admiral Wang De-lu). These two historic pillars ware relocated here from Haishan Hall after the Hall became a civilian residence. Don’t miss them!
Location: No. 1, Gubao St.
Tel: 06 -2202093