The Temple of Hope is the main temple in Gangzaiwei Community. It is the temple of Great Emperor Baosheng, Lord Savior of the Wu Clan, Emperor Yu (one of the deities related to water) and other gods and deities.
Originally named Sianshih Temple, this temple was built in 1718 (reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Ch’ing Dynasty) and was the site of worship for Governor Prince of Anning and Lord Savior of the Wu Clan, both originated from the Sianshih Temple at Wang'an Township in Penghu. During the Japanese Occupation Period, Gangzaiwei Community’s Cihji Temple was torn down because of canal construction projects; and the Beiji House of Jianzai Temple was also removed to build a road. So the deities in the two temples were relocated to Sianshih Temple. The present Mandarin Chinese name of the Temple of Hope - Lingji Temple, is a combination of one Mandarin character from the name of each original temple or deity that moved into Sianshih Temple, now known as Lingji Temple, or the Temple of Hope. Currently, the main deity worshipped here is the Lord Savior of the Wu Clan.
Many artifacts with more than a hundred years of history are preserved in the temple, including “soft-body” (statues with joints in its arms and legs) statues of the gods, hundred-year-old divine sedan-chairs, a plaque and couplet written by Taiwanese naval officer Jhou Jhen-bang during the reign of Ch’ing Emperor Guangxu. Few people know that two elegant“wang chuan” ships are also worshipped in the rooms on the east side of the temple: the ship “Tong'en” which belongs to the two Lord Saviors of the Wu Clan and the ship “Syuejinhai” which belongs to Acting Patrolling Officers of the Heavens Jhou, Syue, and Zeng. The Syuejinhai carries canopies made with straw, unlike other wang chuans which carry wooden palaces and temples.
This temple also worships The Matchmaker (Deity of love and marriage), which is rarely seen in other temples in Anping. Local people are quite familiar with the custom of praying to the Matchmaker and receiving a piece of red string to find and have a good marriage. When you come and pray to the Matchmaker for a good marital match, don’t forget to stop by the Youyuan (“five NTD” or “good relationships”) Donation Box, only found here at the Temple of Hope. With the boost from the blessed red string and a donated five-dollar coin (for good relationships), you can look forward to a blessed marriage soon!
Hundred-year-old Customs:
Jhongyuan Ghost Festival Gupeng Ritual
In addition to housing hundred-year-old artifacts and two wang chuan ships, the Temple of Hope is also the site where the rare Taiwanese festival - Gupeng Ritual takes place. The “gupeng”, or “lone tent”, is composed of five large poles, each about ten meters long. Four additional poles surround the main pole tent/tower, and a large pig and other grains are hung on them. There are also a few dozens of “gaochuans” (five-meter long bamboo poles with bamboo baskets at the bottom) wrapped with a sorts of offerings. This is a way for the public to show their thanks to the blessing and protection from the gods and deities of the Temple of Hope and other spirits. White cloth are hung from the gupeng and dropped into the canal, guiding the spirits in the water to come ashore and enjoy a hearty meal. Although this ritual is not a large-scale event, it is still important to the locals as it not only is a way to show thanks to the deities and spirits, but also a means to preserve and show respect to local beliefs and traditions. The ritual has been held annually for more than 150 years. When Taiwan was under martial law, the village was even investigated for holding this event! During July in the lunar calendar, Taiwan is often hit by typhoons; yet the ritual has never been cancelled due to terrible weather conditions. According to local residents, they say that every time the ritual begins, the bad weather will miraculously become better. It may sound impossible, but locals who have participated in the event for many years all claim this to be true.
Reunions at Sea:
Starting around 200 years ago, “duplicate spirits” of the deities in the Temple of Hope were sometimes invited to local temples in other cities and counties, such as Kaohsiung, Linbian Township, and Pingtung, to be worshipped there. Since 1945, the temple began to hold “reunions at sea” every three to four years. For this event, Fongyun Temple (in Linyuan District, Kaohsiung City), which has more than 200 years of interactions with Tainan’s Temple of Hope, will move their Mazu statue onto the sedan chair and then onto a boat before the birthday of the Goddess. The boat will head to Anping, and the Temple of Hope will also send out deities on boats to greet the Goddess. The Reunion and rituals at sea is one of the major local religious events in Anping.