The Tianhou Temple in Xiangshan, Hsinchu is dedicated to Tianshang Shengmu (Heavenly Mother, more commonly known as Matzu) and serves as one of the most important religious centers for the 53 communities in the Xiangshan area. Xiangshan Temple is closely connected to the development of the Xiangshan area over the past century, and also has ties with Hsinchu City. The temple we see today was rebuilt during the Japanese colonial period. The exquisiteness of the temple is evident in its architecture and the many artifacts it houses, such as calligraphy works by Hsinchu literati, plaques donated by chambers of commerce, Western-style stone pillars, and clay statues of General Qianliyan and General Shunfeng'er (guardians of Matzu temples). Enshrined at the temple are the statues of Matzu with movable limbs and Hu Yeh (the Tiger God)—sculpted with a technique rarely seen in Taiwan, both of which are the temple's prized religious artifacts. The Tianhou Temple in Xiangshan is not only a local center of faith, but its ideal geographic location also offers a sweeping view of the coastline. Along with the old embankment of Xiangshan Harbor located in front of the temple, the Matzu Temple of Xiangshan bears witness to the glory of Hsinchu City in an earlier time.
After the war, the left guard room of Tianhou Palace was rebuilt to enshrine the Nine Heavens Profound Girl and the gods
In the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Jin Changhe, a suburban householder, presented a plaque "Lingzhao Haiguo" to understand the connection between the trade of Xiangshan Port in front of Tianhou Temple and the commerce of Hsinchu at that time.
In terms of offering to the gods, the gods are worshipped to the Mother of God in the sky, the goddess of Zhusheng, and the god of merit. There are two soft-body Mazus in the main hall, Zhendian Ma and Meizhou Mazu
The architectural pattern of Xiangshan Tianhou Palace is two entrances and two corridors, with three rooms facing each other
The stone pillars in the picture are inscribed by Zheng Gongchen (1860-1923 AD). Most of the stone pillars in the temple are dedicated to the Zheng family in Hsinchu. You can understand the profound relationship between the Zheng family in Hsinchu and the Tianhou Temple.
The western-style grid of the stone pillars in the main hall represents the integration of many western styles into the contemporary architectural design, giving the temple buildings a diverse appearance
The head of the stone column is shaped like a lotus flower, which is the characteristic of the column in the temple
This is the inscription on the restoration of the Xiangshan Tianhou Palace in 101 years (2012). The above records many donation records, which is an important record for the restoration of the Xiangshan Tianhou Palace.
The couplets of stone pillars on both sides of the main entrance were written by Zheng Xuyi (1880-1930), a well-known calligrapher from Hsinchu. The donations and inscriptions are also dedicated to the Hsinchu Zheng family.