Siyang Tianhou Palace

Sihyang Tianhou Palace

Sihang Tianhou Palace is a cultural heritage site protected by the Suqian Municipal Government.

The overall architecture of Tianhou Palace originally had two main sections: the front hall that faced the street (Mule and Horse Street) and was known as the Front Temple. The eastern wall of the Front Temple featured a brick carving that read “River Clear,” while the western wall bore the inscription “Sea Calm.” These phrases, “River Clear” and “Sea Calm,” convey the wish for “peace across the land.” The main structure was called the Rear Hall, which was large in size and resplendent in design. During its construction, all aspects — including design, material selection, and craftsmanship — involved workers from outside the region. Particularly in terms of architectural artistry, the ornate beams and painted rafters, brick carvings and stone engravings, as well as the small tiles and upturned eaves, all incorporated elements of southern Fujian culture. Legend has it that after the completion of the grand temple, people came to worship for three consecutive days, marking a time of great splendor.

Tianhou Palace, also known as Tianfei Palace, enshrines a deity believed to be Lin Mo, a woman from Meizhou in Putian, Fujian Province during the Song Dynasty. Her name was Lin Mo, and she was revered as the goddess governing maritime travel. Known for her kindness and generosity, she often single-handedly rescued fishermen from maritime disasters and supported the fishing industry, accumulating boundless merits. She became a guardian deity in the hearts of coastal residents. In the 19th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1690 AD), when Taiwan was unified, it was said that the goddess demonstrated divine power and assisted in the effort. As a result, her title was elevated from “Heavenly Consort” (Tianfei) to “Heavenly Empress” (Tianhou). Fujian merchants built their guildhalls as Tianhou Palaces, reflecting their reverence, faith, and efforts to unite through shared hometown identity in competing for market share. It also embodied their hopes for protection while traveling far from home to conduct business, praying for smooth ventures under the goddess’s blessing.

This southern-originated culture of the Fujian merchants has long been embraced by the people of Sihyang. Since the Song and Jin dynasties, the residents of Sihyang have suffered greatly from floods, and they also placed their hopes for water control in the hands of the Heavenly Empress. On her birthday (the 14th day of the fourth lunar month, though some observe it on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month) and during the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, worshippers would visit Tianhou Palace to offer incense and prayers, forming a longstanding custom. The 1990 expanded edition of the “Cihai” (Sea of Words) dictionary, which bears the inscription personally written by Comrade Jiang Zemin, states in its entry on “Mazu”: “The goddess Lin Mo, revered in China as the ‘Heavenly Empress,’ is the same as the ‘Mazu’ spirit worshipped by generations in Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, and even Hong Kong and Macau.” Especially in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, her divine presence is deeply engraved in the hearts of the people. The tradition of worshipping Mazu, spreading from south to north, clearly illustrates the long-standing historical and cultural unity between mainland China and the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions, as well as their inseparable and profound bonds.

The exact construction date of Sihyang Tianhou Palace is unknown. Based on its architectural style and construction techniques, and an analysis from the perspective of Sihyang’s modern economic development history, it is believed to date back to the late Qing Dynasty. As an example of “ancient architecture,” it is also the only surviving structure of its kind in Sihyang today.

According to survey and measurement, the main hall of Tianhou Palace features a flush-gable roof, with an eave height of 6 meters, a total height of 8.3 meters, a platform base height of 0.49 meters, and a platform depth of 0.37 meters. It spans five bays with a total width of 20.6 meters, and is seven rafters deep with a bay spacing of 1.78 meters. It has four columns, five visible beams, and moon beams decorated with carved floral patterns. The Front Temple spans six bays, with relatively ordinary beam structures. At present, both buildings have undergone varying degrees of partial renovation.