Taiwan Religious Culture Map

Originally known as Zhen'an Temple, the Wanggong Temple in Erjie is dedicated to three ancient warriors who perished in battles against foreign invaders and were later referred to as the Gugong Sanwang (or Sanwang, ""Three Kings""). In the 51st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing era (1786 CE), Huxikeng resident Liao Ti brought statues of the Sanwang to Erjie and built a straw hut to enshrine them. The straw hut was later rebuilt as a tiled structure after the population of Erjie grew. The temple saw a steady stream of worshipers, so local elders suggested that it be rebuilt once again. Using donations from worshipers, the new temple was completed in the 7th year of the Shōwa era (Japanese colonial period; 1932). Many additions were made to the temple in the Republican era, and in 1997 CE, the local community decided to build a new temple because the original was too small. The old temple was preserved as a community cultural center, providing a place for locals to hold cultural events and display ceremonial instruments once used in Wanggong Temple. Each year on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, the birthday of the Gugong Sanwang, the temple holds the biggest firewalking ceremony in Taiwan. A huge pyre of over 20,000 taijin (12,000 kg) of charcoal is lit to purify the statues of the deities. This century-old tradition is now combined with efforts to promote tourism as the temple works with the local government to hold the Wanggong Cultural Festival, inviting more people to join the festivities.