Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Formerly called Warrowan, later known as Fangli Village, Miaoli's Yuanli area was originally home to the Taokas people, a group of plains indigenous people. During the Qing era, Han Chinese people immigrated to the area, bringing with them Matzu worship. During the reigns of Daoguang Emperor and Xianfeng Emperor in the Qing era, violent fights of various scales often broke out between Zhangzhou and Quanzhou immigrants or Hokkien and Cantonese immigrants. As a result, a community comprised of mostly Quanzhou immigrants moved to the south, settling in Fangli Village. To protect their home from attacks, they began building a wall using clay and stone in the 5th year of Xianfeng Emperor's reign (1855 CE), forming what is known today as Fangli Old City. Located within Fangli Old City, Shuntian Temple is also known as Chengnei Matzu (Matzu in the City). Built in the 28th year of Daoguang Emperor's reign in the Qing era (1848 CE), the temple was renovated twice, once in the 1st year of the Shōwa era (Japanese colonial period; 1926 CE) and another time in 1964 CE. Though the overall structure has been rebuilt, the temple still retains traces of its history and simple elegance. It is now a single-story building with a double gable roof over the main hall and a rear hall that extends on both sides—forming a layout similar to two main structures, two side wings, and two side halls—as well as a baiting (worship pavilion) built in the Japanese colonial period.