Tamsui Qingshui Rock

Tamsui Qingshui Rock

Tamsui Qingshui Rock, also known as Tamsui祖师庙 (Tamsui Ancestral Temple), is located at No. 87 Qingshui Street, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It primarily enshrines Qingshui Ancestral Master, a revered monk from southern Fujian's Anxi, and is one of the three major Qingshui Ancestral Temples in the Greater Taipei area, alongside Mengjia Ancestral Temple and Sanxia Ancestral Temple. Legend has it that during a parade in Shimen District, the statue of Qingshui Ancestral Master once revealed its divine power by mysteriously losing its nose as a warning. Villagers, startled, quickly spread the news and gathered outside their homes to watch. Suddenly, an earthquake struck, causing all the houses in the village to collapse. Because the villagers were all outside, not a single person was injured. Since then, the Ancestral Master has been even more deeply revered by the public.

Tamsui Qingshui Rock is not only a center of faith in the Tamsui area but also a hall of religious art. The temple’s pillars, stone carvings, and wood carvings are uniquely crafted with remarkable skill. Each pillar features intricately carved dragons, with dragon heads leaping up from the base and bodies coiling downward, giving off an imposing aura. Most of the stone carvings depict characters from the classic novel "Investiture of the Gods" (Fengshen Yanyi), rendered with exquisite craftsmanship and lifelike detail. In addition, the couplets and calligraphy in Tamsui Ancestral Temple were all created by renowned scholars and master calligraphers of the time, with every character worthy of careful appreciation by visitors.

Tamsui Zushi Temple

Must-visit reason: One of the three most important Qingshui Ancestral Temples in the Greater Taipei area