Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Beidou's Pudugong Temple is one of only a few temples in Taiwan that not only enshrine a statue of Pudugong (Lord of Pudu) but are also dedicated to Pudugong. Pudugong is more commonly known as Dashiye, who is believed to be an incarnation of the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin in folk religion. People pray for Pudugong to watch over the Pudu ritual so that it may be completed successfully. It is said that Pudugong Temple was built in the 3rd year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign in the Qing era (1798 CE). In the 7th year of the Taishō era (Japanese colonial period; 1918 CE), Pudugong Temple was engulfed in flames after a nearby house fire broke out. The temple was rebuilt after the incident and renovated once more in 1948 CE. In 1963 CE, a baiting (worship pavilion) was built outside the front gate, forming the temple layout we see today. Enshrined in the temple are deities of the underworld, including Pudugong, the Buddhist bodhisattva Dizang (Kṣitigarbha), Cheng Huang (City God), and Fude Zhengshen. The birthday of Pudugong falls on the 28th day of the 7th lunar month, so Pudugong Temple performs the Pudu Ritual on that date each year. It is one of four major Pudu ceremonies held in Beidou.