Built in the 8th year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign in the Qing era (1803 CE), the Tianhou Temple in Liudui is the first Matzu temple built in the Liudui area and has occupied an extremely important position in the area's folk religion over the past century. This Matzu temple has close ties with local development. It houses the ""Ban on Settlement in Gulingpu"" tablet (a ban against Hokkien and Hakka settlements on lands of the Makatao indigenous people), one of the most important historical documents regarding ethnic relations and local history. During the Qing era, soldiers drafted from Liudui all took their oaths at Liudui's Tianhou temple; the gentle and maternal image of Matzu made her the deity to whom soldiers and residents alike prayed when yearning for peace and stability. The temple underwent several renovations during the Qing era. Its current layout is comprised of two main structures and an additional baiting (worship pavilion), with the baiting situated between the front gate and main hall. The baiting is flanked by a pair of dragon (left) and tiger (right) patios. Such kind of spatial arrangement, forming a continuous space within the temple, is common among temple structures in southern Taiwan. An additional wing was added on the left when the temple was renovated in the 2nd year of the Taishō era (Japanese colonial period; 1913 CE), which connects the temple with Changli Shrine on its left and forms the temple structure we see today.
The lines of the stone dragon pillar are simple and graceful
In the 20th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1815), a plaque dedicated to Wu Xingcheng (birth and death year unknown) in Fengshan County
The incense burners of Liudui Tianhou Temple are placed on top of the hearthstone. This practice preserves the ancient Hakka customs, which is relatively rare in Taiwanese temples.
The "Stele of Fengxian Sealing Gulingpu" inlaid in Sanchuanmen was listed as a national historical site during the Japanese occupation. The photo shows the status of the stone monument.
Although the frames of Sanchuanmen, Baiting, and Main Hall are independent systems, they are connected with each other by beams, so that Sanchuanmen, Baiting, and Main Hall form a coherent space.
The owner of the left wing of Liudui Tianhou Temple worshipped Guanyin Buddha
The main hall of Liudui Tianhou Temple is dedicated to Fude Zhengshen on the right side
The main hall of the Liudui Tianhou Temple is dedicated to the Zhusheng mother and her mother-in-law
Main hall of Liudui Tianhou Temple