Taiwan Religious Culture Map

In the 6th year of Daoguang Emperor's reign in the Qing era (1826 CE), Wang Te-lu (1770-1842 CE) moved the Sanma (three facets of Matzu) statues from Bengang's Tianhou Temple to his home in Xibei and invited 6 neighboring villages to build Liuxing Temple next to his residence. The temple was named ""Liuxing"" (literally ""prosperous six"") out of the hope that it would bring peace and prosperity to the six villages that built it. Because Liuxing Temple is located in Xibei and enshrines the Sanma statues, it is also known locally as the ""Liuxing Matzu Temple in Xibei"". Wang Te-lu was the only Taiwanese ennobled by the imperial court during the Qing era, giving Liuxing Temple extra historical significance with regard to the Matzu faith. In the 3rd year of the Taishō era (Japanese colonial period; 1914 CE), Wang Te-lu's descendants and members of the local gentry commissioned renowned craftsman Chen Ying-pin (1864-1944 CE) to rebuild the temple—which was badly damaged in an earthquake—at its current site. Currently, Liuxing Temple still retains the traditional Zhangzhou timber structure and exquisite architectural style of the Japanese colonial period, reflecting the era's diverse architectural features. Extremely significant in terms of local history, migration and development, architecture, and art, it is a temple well worth preserving.