Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Guanxi's Taihe Temple, also called Sanjie Temple, is dedicated to the Three Great Emperor-Officials (Official of Heaven, Official of Earth, and Official of Water). Originally built around the 17th year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign in the Qing era (1812 CE) on Kiâm-shài-àng Street, Fuxing Village (present-day Guanxi Township, known as Meili Village during Emperor Qianlong's reign), the temple was moved several times before being rebuilt at its present location during the Shōwa era of the Japanese colonial period. Guanxi's Taihe Temple has a layout consisting of two main halls, two hallways, and two side wings. Bell and drums towers are built atop the left and right wings, and the front gate hall has a jiasichui roof (a hip-and-gable roof built over a gable roof, creating the illusion of two roofs). Taihe Temple is a rare masterpiece among temples in Hsinchu County, particularly with regard to its carpentry. Above the steps of the front gate, the dougong (interlocking wooden brackets) between the outer beam, diaotong (carved ornaments protruding below roof beams), caisson ceiling, and tongsui (support brackets for shorter beams) all have great artistic value. The main hall uses both jixin (structure where brackets are interlocked at right angles) and touxin (structure where all brackets are placed facing the front) dougong that raise toward the outer beam, emphasizing the temple's stateliness and magnificence.