The Eighteen Lords Temple

The Eighteen Lords Temple

The Eighteen Lords Temple is located on the road from Shimen to Jinshan. Though the temple is small in size, it enjoys extremely strong incense offerings, and especially at night, the sea of worshippers creates a spectacle rarely seen among temples in Taiwan.

The origin of the Eighteen Lords Temple is quite legendary. It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, 17 wealthy gentlemen from Fuzhou once traveled together by boat to Mount Putuo to offer incense, but unfortunately, they died in a shipwreck. Their bodies drifted ashore along Shimen, with only one loyal dog that had accompanied them surviving—but it too sacrificed itself for its masters. Moved by their loyalty, local residents buried the dog together with the 17 men in a single tomb and built a temple to enshrine them, naming it the Eighteen Lords. Since then, numerous stories have emerged about the Eighteen Lords appearing to help people, which helped build their great fame.

The temple consists of the main hall and the tomb of the Eighteen Lords. Beside the tomb stands a bronze statue of the loyal dog. It is said that rubbing the statue with a red cloth for blessings can bring immense good luck, and this practice is highly efficacious and well known far and wide. As a result, worshippers flock to the temple without end, often causing major traffic jams along the North Coast Highway. Interestingly, legend has it that the Eighteen Lords were fond of smoking, so it’s common to see rows of white Changtai cigarettes standing upright in front of the offering table—becoming the most unique sight in the temple. Due to the large number of visitors, many vendors have gathered around the temple, even spreading to the opposite side of the street, forming a gathering of no fewer than 20 stalls, resembling a small night market. For a long time, the zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) here have become a famous snack that visitors must try, and the grilled snails are also worth sampling.

Transportation Guide

1. Take a Danshui Bus bound for Jinshan or Shimen from Danshui, or take a Taiwan Bus bound for Keelung, and get off at the Eighteen Lords Temple stop.

2. Take a Taiwan Bus bound for Danshui from beside Keelung Railway Station, and get off at the Eighteen Lords Temple stop.